


Parallels of Descent

by RaeViMars



Category: Shazam! (2019)
Genre: Character Development, Character Study, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, found family trope, redemption arc
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-29
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:34:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 117,726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22029409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RaeViMars/pseuds/RaeViMars
Summary: Thaddeus Sivana did not anticipate the fact that he of all people would engage in a prison break, nor did he anticipate the revelation regarding a certain fifteen year old nemesis that would make tracking down the irksome nuisance all the more difficult. Thaddeus particularly didn’t anticipate a situation in which he would ultimately find himself not utterly despising the boy that had essentially ruined his life’s work within a single day.All in all, Thaddeus Sivana never intended to actually relate to Billy Batson due to a complicated circumstance unfortunately out of their control, and he certainly never intended to get an alleged soft spot for the boy given how Thaddeus had never exactly been familiar with any manner of paternal instincts.Needless to say, in theory the Sins would be less than keen about the idea of their Champion not absolutely loathing the Wizard’s Champion, although it’s not as though seven powerful entities wouldn’t have a means of fixing that— there are, after all, many who practice wicked deeds at the disposal of their chosen poison…
Relationships: Billy Batson & Thaddeus Sivana
Comments: 44
Kudos: 86





	1. Not Quite Cruel

Thaddeus Sivana would not consider himself a cruel man. Perhaps bitter, admittedly enough, but not cruel. More often than not, Thaddeus was easy to irk, substantially uninterested in meaningless socialization, and considerably resentful towards anyone that rubbed him the wrong way. 

Most people rubbed Thaddeus the wrong way; unsurprisingly, he was not particularly a _ ‘people person’ _ , so to say. 

Thaddeus would not deny that he could often be cold— he was aware the world had hardened him, and saw no point in acting as though it had done him any favors. In fact, Thaddeus could pinpoint the most significant moments that had played a key role in making him a less than pleasant person. 

Such as the Wizard’s claim of impurity, for starters. The careless car crash his father had blamed Thaddeus for. The particularly bad beating that Sid had given Thaddeus when they’d gotten into one of many tussles in the family home elevator— tussles that were never very fair given how Sid had been much older and taller than his little brother throughout their upbringing that lacked the things most childhoods were allegedly supposed to have, warmth being a significant point of absence. 

Oh there were entire lists of things that had chiseled away at any ounce of warmth Thaddeus may have once possessed, but he barely even considered such childish nuisances nowadays. Warmth didn’t bring strength, or glory, or worthiness— relentless hard work did. Thaddeus had no need for warmth when he’d gotten where he was on his own; the only assistance he’d received from others had been solely due to him signing their paychecks. 

Thaddeus had gotten here all on his own, and where he was was a… a… well… 

Well all right, fine. He was technically in a jail cell at the moment, but that wasn’t the point. The point was that he had been on top of the world just moments ago. No— hours. Days? Weeks? Months? Surely less than a year, in any case. 

Details weren’t important— Thaddeus would be finding his way out of this windowless box of cold concrete soon enough, and that was what truly mattered. There used to be a worm that would keep him company in here and made this dreary place ever so slightly more interesting, but he hadn’t seen that particular worm for awhile now. Or was it a caterpillar? 

Or was it a mere figment of his imagination gone awry given how long he’d been stuck in here without any kind of enrichment? 

Thaddeus was not one to believe anything he encountered could in any way be figmented given how he considered himself an exceptionally logical man, but a talking insect was a bit far fetched— even for him. Particularly a tiny little one claiming that its main source of nutrition was entire universes. 

Then again, Thaddeus wasn’t  **too** incredibly skeptical considering the substantially strange situations he’d encountered both as a child and an adult. 

Such as a magical transportation to the lair of a Wizard incapable of being decent towards mere children. A chance to become a noble Champion. A whispered promise of power being emitted from seven Sins trapped within seven cracking statues. A dangerous glowing orb of temptation practically beckoning him forward. A chance of nobility denied almost as quickly as it was offered. A magic 8 ball flickering with electricity and 7 strange symbols. 

Then came the years of searching— searching for proof that those things had been real rather than figmented. Searching for evidence to prove how his father, brother, mother, and twin sisters were wrong about such vivid things being no more than dreams. Searching for answers as to why he’d been chosen to experience the Wizard’s trial, only to be swiftly disqualified. 

Searching for the lair. The Wizard. The seven Sins. 

The eye. 

Thaddeus subconsciously placed the pad of his fingertips against the scar crawling from his brow to just below his eye. He stared up at the familiar sets of seven symbols in seven rows that he’d scribbled across his cell’s walls, floor, and ceiling with a discarded pencil that was no more than a stub at this point. Or at least, he stared up at the symbols with his good eye, in any case. Unfortunately, the scar had stretched across the iris and pupil of his now glossed over eye. Although he hadn’t completely lost sight in his right eye— he could vaguely make out outlines with it, but they resembled shadowy shapes more than anything tangible. 

If Thaddeus could just find a way to return to the Wizard’s lair, then he could find the Eye of Sin. He could regain his sight. Regain his power. His freedom. 

Although Thaddeus had little to no clue as to how to return to the lair given how the seven familiar symbols of each Sin that he’d placed on the walls of this forsaken place conjured no gateway this time. Thaddeus assumed this was likely thanks to that meddlesome boy and his interfering siblings. 

The boy that had been deemed worthy by the Wizard when Thaddeus had not. 

The boy-  _ Billy _ . Billy was his name, if Thaddeus recalled correctly… not that something as insignificant as that boy’s name actually mattered in any way whatsoever. In any case,  **the boy** was a brat, plain and simple. Thaddeus reckoned the Wizard had probably been desperate when choosing Billy as Champion, given how Thaddeus hadn’t allowed the old fool much of a choice after nearly killing the already weak elder. 

If Thaddeus had known the Wizard had been merely unconscious and not dead after their little reunion, then he would have taken care to finish him off properly to ensure none of these unforeseen complications would arise— such as being defeated by a fourteen year old. And left powerless. And ultimately imprisoned. 

Unfortunately, Thaddeus had been careless and not checked the Wizard’s pulse. A rookie mistake, really. To be fair, Thaddeus had acknowledged that he’d admittedly gotten ahead of himself when being fueled by the adrenaline of finally achieving his life’s work, and the Sins had been just the same given their eagerness to leave the lair that the Wizard had imprisoned them in. Thaddeus had overlooked things when being blinded by power, just as the Sins had overlooked things when being blinded by the taste of freedom. 

Now, the Sins and Thaddeus were ultimately both prisoners due to their careless mistakes. 

There was no use in crying over spilled milk, though— lingering on mistakes never helped anyone. What helped was using those mistakes to plan for the future in order to avoid further miscalculations. 

For example, the moment Thaddeus was finally out of this hunk of concrete with dim flickering lights, he would be sure to skip the warnings when facing the Wizard’s champion, and instead go straight for the kill.

Thaddeus had been nice enough. He had given Billy a chance. He had shown restraint. Thaddeus had requested Billy’s power before attempting to take it by force when being talked down to about how the infamous superhero was  _ ‘basically invincible _ .’ Thaddeus had been generous enough to keep Billy’s siblings intact when taking them as hostages, rather than killing them off one at a time to show that he meant business. Thaddeus had reluctantly denied the Sins their requests to merely maim the hostage brother called Freddy that would not stop talking Thaddeus’ ear off to no end. Thaddeus had kept his word and left Billy’s family unharmed when requesting his power a second time in the Wizard’s lair, which had resulted in the ungrateful lot interrupting that near transfer of power. Thaddeus had even gone as far as to show mercy on the little girl and redact his command to kill her when offering Billy one last chance to give up the power that the cowardly boy wasn’t worthy of. 

Thaddeus had given Billy three chances, because he was not a cruel man. That being said, Thaddeus was also not a pushover, and Billy had reached strike three, so there would simply have to be consequences. 

Thaddeus did not particularly enjoy the notion of others suffering, so to say. It brought no joy to him to see someone in needless pain, but he also felt little regard to their suffering. More than anything, Thaddeus was neutral if a situation held no influence on him. 

Revenge, however, was an entirely different story. Revenge was something Thaddeus would not deny enjoying when it regarded something personal. Revenge was well suited for those who inconvenienced, undermined, and challenged Thaddeus. 

Simply put, Thaddeus hadn’t particularly sympathized with the Sivana Industry board meeting members that had been killed off the day he’d wreaked havoc on his father and brother’s company. Sure, it had certainly been a shame that such esteemed business men and women had been slaughtered by the seven Sins he’d released, but he doubted it could have been avoided given the bloodlust the Sins had kept pent up for thousands upon thousands of years. 

A necessary evil, so to say, considering Thaddeus wouldn’t have been able to truly give his father and brother a taste of their own medicine without the power the Sins had bestowed upon him; the other board members had just so happened to get caught in the crossfire. 

It would be unfortunate if Billy’s two lovely parents and five precious siblings got caught in the crossfire. Really, it would. Thaddeus didn’t want to kill them, per se, however what must be done simply must be done, and Thaddeus had a feeling they would definitely. get. in. his. way. 

Which Thaddeus understood, of course. Unlike the Sivana family, Billy’s actually looked out for one another. It was admirable, really. Thaddeus couldn’t exactly blame them for wanting to protect Billy. In fact, as much was to be expected. It was a shame, really, that the Wizard hadn’t chosen someone that wouldn’t be missed. Seriously, giving someone so much power  _ really _ painted a target on their back; was there honestly not a better candidate to entrust with that kind of responsibility other than some fourteen year old from Philly? Even a kid from Gotham would have been better for goodness sakes— at least the kids there were tough! 

Billy, though? Billy was no more than a child that even a powerless Thaddeus could easily do away with. The one thing- the  **only** thing- that made Billy difficult to dispose of was the fact that the boy just needed to say one word to turn into a six foot four jock with nearly invincible powers like some kind of Superman ripoff. 

_ Shazam _ . Two syllables, and the kid could defeat Thaddeus with as little as a simple flick. In his current state, Thaddeus was no more than a mere mortal again. Without the Eye of Sin, Thaddeus was back to square one. The once again defeated Sins were no longer in Thaddeus’ possession, and so he was just a man once more. 

Billy though? Billy needed no mystical eye, nor wizardly staff, or any other kind of otherworldly material to turn into a champion— to turn into Shazam. All Billy needed was his voice, and that frankly didn’t seem very fair to Thaddeus; it wasn’t as though Thaddeus could beckon forth the Sins with a mere call of their names, so why should Billy be able to summon lightning with no more than a simple word? 

It truly wasn’t fair… but there was no benefit to moping around about that. Instead, Thaddeus considered all the ways he could use such knowledge to his advantage. 

_ The boy couldn’t turn into Shazam when he shouted the word beneath the water— that has to mean he can’t summon the power of the Champion when something’s muffling his voice. Or, it could mean that he just can’t summon it when submerged in water due to electrocution; perhaps water could be a potential weakness. _

_ I can’t take any of the siblings hostage with ease— not when he’s split his powers with them; I could find a way around Billy’s powers, but his brothers and sisters coming to his aid could prove to be a problem. I wonder if their parents are aware of the circumstances… Maybe I could draw Billy away from them somehow _ . 

_ There’s a number of ways I could stop the boy from speaking the Champion’s name— a surprise attack. An injury to the jaw. A threat of harm towards something he values if he does as much as opens his mouth.  _

Thaddeus blinked, an idea coming into place. 

_ If I could manage to find a way to take one of the parents hostage, I could probably convince the boy to transfer his power to me so long as I keep the mother or father in between us in the line of fire— he wouldn’t want to risk them getting injured in an attempts to take me down.  _

Now that...  **that** was certainly an idea. One that could actually work—  **if** Thaddeus took care to not make the same mistake he’d done twice before and actually kept the hostage a hostage until  **after** the transfer of power, rather than releasing the hostage just before the transfer. 

Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice… and you’re really putting the lives of your loved ones on the line. 

If Billy didn’t try anything funny, then his parent would come out unscathed. In fact, Thaddeus was feeling particularly generous— even Billy could have a chance at coming out unscathed, and all he had to do was just  _ listen _ rather than be a defiant brat. Thaddeus felt like that wasn’t asking for too much, and it frankly shouldn’t be all that hard; nonetheless, Thaddeus was more than aware the boy had a certain tendency to make things more difficult than they needed to be. 

All in all, Thaddeus reckoned this was just about one of the most foolproof plans he could conjure given the present circumstances that limited many options. It had potential, and should go smoothly… 

… as long as the boy didn’t give his parents the powers of the gods as well, or some absolute nonsense like that, in which Thaddeus would seriously consider just giving up at that point. 

Keyword being  _ consider _ , because Thaddeus was generally not one to quit. 

Thaddeus allowed his heavy eyelids to slide shut, pleased with his plan regarding earning what he deserved much more than some cheeky brat. Now, all Thaddeus had to do was devise a plan to get out of this cage of concrete. First, however, Thaddeus would get some much needed sleep; he was fairly certain it had been a few days or so since he’d last bothered with rest, but he couldn’t be certain given the lack of windows and clocks— he’d even lost track of his meals at this point, and they all looked like the same bland soup and porridge, so he never knew whether he was having breakfast, lunch, or dinner… and the guards didn’t bother giving him or any other inmate the time of day, unless it was to reply with a sarcastic quip. 

Thaddeus found himself quickly drifting off, dreams being one of the only things to look forward to in a prison like this. 

Although Thaddeus didn’t always have dreams. More often than not, in fact, he had nightmares— nightmares that used to give him night terrors as a child, but barely phased him nowadays. 

A nightmare he often had involved the backseat of a car, and a yelling man in the driver’s seat, with a teenage boy in the passenger seat giving him an all too well known glare, and then a truck ramming into the metal door on Thaddeus’ side, the side of the car crunching into itself as shards of icy glass flung towards him while the world around him tumbled over and- 

_ Find us.  _

-and rumbling lightning. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was initially supposed to be a character study on Thaddeus Sivana and Billy Batson that somehow ended up turning into a short story instead lol! I’d greatly appreciate any feedback!


	2. Pardoning Methods

Thaddeus woke to the sight of the dim light above his bed flickering, which wasn’t terribly unusual. In addition to that, he could have sworn some of the symbols he’d scribbled on the ceiling shifted, repositioning themselves into the words  _ Find Us _ . That also wasn’t exactly uncommon, Thaddeus plucking up his bedside glasses as he blinked the sleep out of his eyes to refocus his blurry vision, the symbols returning to normal. Then, there was the matter of the building tremoring and muffled shouts coming from somewhere down the hall. 

That? Now  **that** was certainly new. 

A prison riot. There seemed to be a prison riot of some sort going on. Obviously. It didn’t exactly take a renowned scientist to figure out something like that, although being one certainly didn’t hurt. 

Then again, this could be an evacuation of some sort, which was substantially more unsettling given how Thaddeus wasn’t exactly sure as to what they might very well be evacuating from. 

Regardless, Thaddeus assumed whatever this was had to be considerably bad given how alarms blared and red lights flashed as his bolted door suddenly unlocked along with the doors of every other jail cell down the hall; had someone managed to bypass security? The guards clearly weren’t opening them manually… the doors were being prompted from the control room. 

With utmost caution, Thaddeus carefully made his way to the threshold of his cell and hesitantly leaned forward just a bit, attempting to see what was going on. 

Thaddeus was met with the sight of prisoners fleeing towards the stairwell, not a conscious guard in sight. 

Thaddeus reckoned now would be as good a time as ever to attempt an escape— this was the first chance he’d gotten in months at regaining freedom, and he didn’t intend to waste what could very well turn out to be the only chance; it wasn’t as though he’d likely get out on parole anytime soon considering his lawyer said the judge would likely refuse his insanity plea; Thaddeus was fairly certain the lawyer he’d unfortunately gotten was a cheapskate that hadn’t been in the field long enough to know what he was actually doing, but Thaddeus didn’t exactly want to rely on his own expertise in the courtroom considering he’d gotten his degree in science rather than law. Ultimately, Thaddeus was fairly certain he had nothing to gain by staying put, so naturally he simply decided to not stay put. 

Thaddeus swiftly followed the scrambling crowd of inmates, keeping his distance to avoid being trampled and ensuring the prisoners would be hit rather than him in case they stumbled upon any guards that may start opening fire. Nonetheless, Thaddeus remained close behind enough to delve into the pushing and shoving group of escapees if any guards happened to approach them from behind. Human shields weren’t exactly the most eloquent method of taking cover, but Thaddeus didn’t precisely have a lot to work with here. 

Much to Thaddeus’ relief, the majority of guards on the floors below had already been taken out by the inmates on the lower levels, and whoever had managed to get into the control room had unlocked all exits. This was surprisingly easy. A little too easy, maybe. Worryingly easy. 

Thaddeus found himself wondering what had started the prison riot—  **who** had started the prison riot. Had they had some kind of weapon? Some of the guards had injuries that looked much more severe than anything they could have gained from a typical shiv or beating… 

Was this some kind of trap? Were they actually being let go just like that? What if something was expected in exchange for this alleged freedom? 

At this point, Thaddeus wasn’t sure what he preferred: an evacuation being implemented due to some kind of catastrophic event, a prison riot breakout that would likely add to his stack of convictions along with every other inmate’s, or a suspicious offer of freedom by some unknown individual with an undisclosed agenda. 

Regardless, Thaddeus remained on guard throughout the prison, warily remaining alert. After spending months locked up in a small concrete box in which the bed took up most of the floor space, Thaddeus couldn’t help but resent how the corridors stretched so far and long. Unfortunately, he also had to take a series of steep stairwells given how the elevators were out of order thanks to too many impatient inmates having attempted to cram their way inside the outdated mechanism that had been riddled with technical issues for quite some time now. 

It was a breath of fresh air, to say the least, when Thaddeus finally arrived at the prison’s open field that was now lush with green grass no longer blanketed by snow— an open field that he’d only seen once when first arriving here, and hadn’t been permitted to go anywhere near since. Thaddeus hadn’t left his cell since being shoved in it, which he was fairly certain infringed upon his rights given how he’d kept himself in check for the most part since arriving here to avoid any conflict. Nonetheless, Thaddeus supposed the punishment of being regarded as high risk and isolated due to such made sense considering he reckoned most criminals that possessed certain…  _ peculiar _ abilities that exceeded those of the average human were likely given the same treatment upon sentencing, regardless of any behavior showcased within the prison. Thaddeus had made it clear he had the potential to wield terribly great power, so it was no wonder the guards were taking drastic precautionary measures. 

Precautionary measures that had ultimately not worked, seeing as how Thaddeus was following a crowd of inmates through an opening in the mangled fence— a large hole in the metal wires wounding around the prison grounds had been… burnt? Shredded? Cut? Thaddeus couldn’t quite tell, and he had no desire to linger around this awful place in attempts to find out. 

Even with their weapons, struggling police outside the prison were vastly outnumbered by the rioting inmates, but Thaddeus heard distant sirens quickly approaching. 

Thaddeus needed to lay low and get as far away from the prison as he could. He needed new clothes to replace his inmate uniform. He needed somewhere he could stay, given how chilly it was, and wait— why were the leaves already changing color? Had Thaddeus really been locked up for three seasons? Nearly an entire year? What month was it? September? October? November? Was it already nearly December again? 

Thaddeus clenched his jaw, realizing just how much time had been stolen from him— time he needed to make up for. Thaddeus had earned his way in this unforgiving world on his own, and he wasn’t about to allow some spoiled child to get away with knocking him back down to rock bottom. 

Thaddeus needed to find Billy Batson, and so help him if he couldn’t manage to take the boy’s undeserved power for his own one way or another then he’d just settle for killing the nuisance that had made his life’s work a waste. 

Firstly, however, Thaddeus needed to find a coat not only to cover up his prison uniform, but also to get into something warm, the brisk breeze whisking around him and ghosting past his ear occasionally resembling the sound of faint whirling whispers that whistled throughout the maze of alleyways he crossed in order to stay out of sight. 

_ Find us _ . 

The once illegible phrase that had initially been spoken only by occasion was now quickly becoming frequent and comprehensible; it steadily began to sound much more familiar, and much less like just a wisp in the wind…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to check out some other platforms I’m on if you want to— they’re pretty much all only at the beginning stages of being started up thus still under construction, but I figured I might as well go ahead and include them in case anyone’s interested. 
> 
> Discord: #5516   
> https://discord.gg/cqqRhX 
> 
> Wattpad: Rae-Vi-Mars   
> https://www.wattpad.com/user/Rae-Vi-Mars 
> 
> Tumblr: rae-vi-mars   
> https://rae-vi-mars.tumblr.com/post/190055336896/hi 
> 
> Facebook: Rae Mars   
> https://www.facebook.com/rae.mars.18 
> 
> Twitter: @RaeViMars   
> https://mobile.twitter.com/RaeViMars


	3. Inquiries for Conversation

Comparatively, shoplifting a coat from a retail store’s outside display rack was not nearly as questionable as having seven sinful entities do a number of sinister things, such as slaughtering a roomful of board members, kidnapping children, and nearly murdering a fourteen year old. Given this, Thaddeus didn’t feel particularly bad about swiping it— the only tidbit of regret that he did feel revolved around accidentally getting one a size too big. 

Now all Thaddeus had to do was find a pair of glasses and some kind of hat to ensure no one recognized him— perhaps he could find one someone had accidentally left behind on a bench somewhere… 

Thaddeus emitted a strained exhale, massaging the bridge of his nose and furrowing his brow in frustration. This was a most inadequate situation, and one Thaddeus was not at all used to. It goes without saying that Thaddeus’ father likely would have preferred the option of kicking him out onto the streets the second his son turned eighteen and graduated high school, but such a scandal would have potentially ruined the family image, and the Sivana name just couldn’t risk that. Thaddeus’ father had consistently ensured that Thaddeus was kept under his thumb and well off enough to not be seen as an embarrassment, and it was undeniably obvious that his father had done so albeit reluctantly; Thaddeus had generally been just as reluctant to receive any so called  _ help _ from his father given how it always came with his father micromanaging anything involved, and then even going as far as to claim Thaddeus’ achievements as his own. 

All in all, Thaddeus’ father had essentially maintained some kind of control over him one way or another until Thaddeus had finally become a man who was brave enough to stand up to the old geezer that had turned out to be more of a pitiful coward than Thaddeus had ever been. 

Speaking of cowards… Thaddeus was a mere block or so away from Billy Batson’s residence. Or at least Thaddeus was fairly certain he was— the neighborhood had a maze of streets, and it didn’t help that so many of the houses looked so similar. Regardless, Thaddeus hadn’t forgotten such a significant address. 

Thaddeus wasn’t worried about finding the home of the boy that had practically spit on everything he’d worked for. What Thaddeus was worried about, however, was what he would do when he finally got there. If the parents were aware of their children’s…  _ condition _ , so to say, then the little mutts would have no problem with Shazamming themselves into six foot tall bodybuilders in the middle of the living room, and Thaddeus had nothing to defend himself with given how he quite literally only had the clothes on his back. 

Thaddeus didn’t even have a weapon to take one of the parents hostage— assuming that it wasn’t an overpowered runt that opened the door instead. With Thaddeus’ luck, the parents would answer, but they’d probably be something along the lines of world champion professional boxers. Then there was the fact that Thaddeus couldn’t stop the nagging concern gnawing at his very core regarding the possibility that Billy potentially could have found a way to transfer his powers to his dear mother and father as well. 

If things went smoothly, Thaddeus would knock on the door and be greeted by a frail woman who had no idea her precious children were overpowered superhumans and the brats would know better than to try anything in front of their poor clueless mother with Thaddeus right in range of her. 

… Thaddeus couldn’t help but doubt that things would go smoothly though, so he admittedly found himself hesitating just a few houses away from his destination, and- 

“Darla, c’mon we’re gonna’ be late!” A familiar boy called over his shoulder while walking out onto the porch, maneuvering down the steps with his crutch as an older boy followed behind him. 

“We’re already going to be late anyways.” The older boy mumbled with a shrug. 

The boy- Freddy. Freddy was his name— the one that had rambled on and on to no ends when Thaddeus had taken him hostage. 

In any case,  **Freddy** rolled his eyes. “Yeah well I wanna’ at least try to get there before the bell rings, Pedro,” He gave the older a pointed look while reminding, “We’re supposed to check up  _ onbehohuhahshit _ .” 

Pedro quirked a brow at the series of strung together words, following Freddy’s line of sight. “What-” His eyes landed on Thaddeus. “Oh. Shit.” 

“Freddy, do you have a charger?” Inquired the smallest boy of the six siblings while walking down the porch steps without bothering to take his eyes off of the phone in his grasp. “Mine’s at nine percent and I gotta’ beat this next level in one go so I won’t have to start all-” He bumped into the frozen Pedro, frowning and looking up at his pair of siblings with a frown, noticing they were both looking at…  _ something _ . “Why are you guys-” He glanced in Thaddeus’ direction, the boy having to do a double take, any remaining words getting caught in his throat. 

Well… Thaddeus had certainly been spotted. He inclined his chin, acknowledging the wide eyed boys, contemplating on how to approach this particular situation. 

They seemed to be at a standstill. 

“Eugene,” Freddy began, warily maneuvering in front of the boy anxiously clutching onto his phone. “Go inside, lock the doors, and call-” 

“Come on, in the van!” A woman instructed while hurrying out of the house, a sleeping little girl on her hip with her cheek resting on the older woman’s shoulder. “Go ahead and buckle up!” She added for good measure, nearly missing the keyhole thrice with how quickly she was attempting to jab the house key at the lock. “Let’s not get any more tardies, yeah?” She urged while rushing down the steps, her right arm securely cradling the sleeping girl. 

Thaddeus narrowed his eyes, noting there were two children missing— Billy and the older sister. College was a plausible reason the sister wasn’t there, but Billy hadn’t even been fifteen less than a year ago, so that had to mean he was likely inside sick. 

“Rosa,” Freddy nervously began as Thaddeus made the decision to turn on his heel and calmly walk the other way. “Rosa, that guy’s-” Freddy couldn’t very well reveal that he personally knew the villainous Thaddeus Sivana, not needing to blow his cover. “I’m- uh… I’m pretty sure that’s one of the prisoners that the news was saying escaped!” Totally smooth save, Freddy. Very smooth. 

Rosa furrowed her brow as she finished bucking Darla up. “What?” She questioned while pulling away from the car door, turning to face the Freddy that was frantically pointing at some poor man taking a morning walk. “Freddy! Don’t be rude! Put your hand down!” She scolded, shutting the car door quietly to avoid waking Darla. 

Freddy gave Rosa a look of disbelief. “What? But-” She gave Freddy a stern stare, causing him to emit a heavy exhale and reluctantly lower his hand. “Rosa, we really need to call the cops and-” 

“No,” Rosa interjected. “We need to go to school,” She corrected while jogging to the driver’s side. “And you need to stop watching so many Gotham crime shows.” She wasted no time opening her door. “In, everyone— now.” 

Freddy exchanged distressed glances with Pedro and Eugene, the trio pausing briefly before shaking their heads in unease and clambering inside. 

“Freddy’s right,” Pedro informed while getting into his seat. “That was definitely one of the guys from the news.” 

Rosa felt a tinge of concern at that, because it most certainly wasn’t like Pedro to just say something like that on a whim. “What? Are you sure?” She inquired while looking over her shoulder, becoming more unsettled by how even Eugene nodded more than just a little confidently. “I-” The three boys looked at her expectantly, Rosa failing to find her words and releasing a strained sigh; they were already late— she didn’t need to deal with this on top of… everything else that was going on right now. “All right,” She wearily exhaled. “All right…” She swallowed thickly, starting up the car. “Then just- uh…” Rosa cleared her throat, the parenting classes she’d taken and books she’d read before applying for foster care certainly never covering…  **this** . “Just wait until we go by him to get one more look to make sure, and then one of you can just-” 

“Call 9-1-1?” The antsy Freddy offered. 

Rosa shrugged as she pulled out of the driveway, honestly not knowing what to tell her children that had suspiciously paid closer attention to the news than she had last night. “I- yeah. Yeah, I guess?” Was that who you called if you had an anonymous tip, or was 9-1-1 for emergencies only? “But wait until we go by him to make sure!” She emphasized while turning the wheel as she backed up into the road. “I don’t want to ruin some poor man’s day just because he looks like some generic…” She trailed off, deciding to just attempt focusing on driving right now. 

“What are you guys yelling about?” Darla yawned with a stretch, frowning at the raised voices that were much too loud for this early in the morning. 

“Nothing baby,” Rosa attempted to dismiss, clutching the steering wheel so tightly her knuckles whitened. “Just go back to-” 

“Freddy!” Darla exclaimed now much louder than anyone else, worry piquing in her tone as they drove by the man that casually turned his head the other way. “That’s-” 

“Uh yeah we know, Darla!” Freddy quickly interjected, not wanting the girl to give away the fact that they knew Thaddeus Sivana a little too well. “The guy from the news, right?” He said with a nudge while pressing the call button for the already dialed 9-1-1. 

Darla furrowed her brow and tilted her head at that, an exasperated Rosa asking, “You recognize him from the news, too, Darla?” 

Darla glanced at Pedro, the older nodding fervently as Euegene gave her a look that made it clear he was attempting to convey something, prompting the girl to hesitantly answer, “Um… yeah… the news…” 

Rosa emitted a heavy exhale, glancing in the rear view mirror at the man that was now a few houses behind them. “Oh boy…” She sighed under her breath, putting on the break as she got to a stop sign, anxiously glancing both ways while Freddy began talking a mile a minute to a dispatcher. 

Thaddeus waited until the van drove around the corner and disappeared from sight to turn and redirect his steps back towards the home of the six irksome Champions, making haste under the assumption it wouldn’t be long until police cars would come swooping down the street. Thaddeus knew better than to break inside the house though, deciding it would be more beneficial to trick Billy into coming outside where he would have to either transform at the risk of being spotted or remain a powerless child. Thaddeus reckoned the allegedly sick boy would come to the door sooner or later if he was persistent enough. 

So, Thaddeus knocked once and waited fifteen seconds. Twice and waited ten. Thrice and waited five. And then- 

“You just missed them,” A voice off to the side informed, Thaddeus blinking and turning his attention towards a neighbor standing in the nearby driveway. “Rosa already took the kiddos to school, and she has a nine hour shift right after she drops them off. Victor usually gets home around three or so.” 

For a moment, Thaddeus just stared at the neighbor that was eying him over, realizing Rosa and Victor were likely the names of the parents. “I’m here to see Billy, actually,” Thaddeus informed with an attempt at a smile, the corner of his lips only tugging upwards slightly yet forcefully. “Rose and Vic told me he’s sick, and I offered to come by and check in on him since I have the day off.” 

The neighbor’s head tilted. “Billy’s back?” 

Thaddeus’ brow furrowed at the reply. “Back?” He inquired, not quite understanding the question. 

“From his uncle’s.” The neighbor elaborated, oh so easily spilling such valuable information in the form of polite conversation much to Thaddeus’ relief at a chance to finally catch a bit of a lucky break. “Did the old man finally give up on trying to rehome the poor kiddo?” Thaddeus arched a brow, earning a cleared throat. “Sorry— I know it’s not really my place to say anything; Billy just seemed to be doing so well here, and it doesn’t seem right that that uncle of his was allowed to just come in and…” The neighbor trailed off. “In any case, it’s great to hear Billy’s back! Did he just get in?” 

It finally dawned on Thaddeus that Billy was evidently a foster child, and oh this was just fantastic how was he supposed to lie his way out of this one? “I-”

“Oh wait, is it supposed to be a surprise?” The neighbor sheepishly chuckled. “I was wondering why Victor and Rosa hadn’t said anything…” An awkward pause, Thaddeus doubting the neighbor knew where the uncle in question was located. “So you’re friends of Victor and Rosa, huh?” Thaddeus nodded as he wondered how long it would take for the inevitable police cars to come sweeping down the road, becoming increasingly aware that he needed to get going. “Do you live in the neighborhood? Are you new? I don’t believe I’ve seen you around here before.” 

Thaddeus needed to figure out where to go next— and he needed to make haste. “I am new, actually,” He calmly lied while walking down the porch steps. “My kids are actually going to start school next week the same place Rose and Vic’s kids go at…” He paused, brow furrowing in mock consideration and- 

“Fawcett?” The neighbor offered just so kindly. 

There it was. “Fawcett.” Thaddeus repeated, the gullible neighbor practically eating out of the palm of his hand with how easily Thaddeus had just been given everything he needed to know to make his next move. “That reminds me— I should probably get back and finish unpacking.” 

The neighbor’s expression faltered. “Didn’t you want to check in on Billy?” 

“He didn’t answer— he’s probably sleeping,” Thaddeus dismissively replied while wasting no time turning his back towards the other, his feigned politeness diminishing. “I don’t want to wake him.” 

The neighbor’s head tilted as the other swiftly walked away. “What did you say your name was?” 

“Nice meeting you.” Thaddeus farewelled without bothering to answer or trying very hard to sound the least bit genuine, instead focusing on figuring out how exactly he was going to go about locating and getting to this  _ Fawcett _ school. 

Thaddeus had managed to get a decent ways away from Billy’s neighborhood when he heard the noise of distant sirens revving down the boy’s street in search of the man they’d gotten tipped off about from a certain anonymous nuisance called Freddy Freeman; the sirens almost managed to drown out the musing that kept coming to Thaddeus’ mind more and more frequently:  _ Find us _ . 

The phrase was frankly beginning to become aggravatingly distracting, and Thaddeus had to find the boy first in any case considering Billy was essentially the only plausible method that Thaddeus had left of finding the Sins again. Thaddeus could be considered impatient, but the Sins were even more- 

The scar on Thaddeus’ right eye surged with a burning ache, prompting him to wince and press the pads of his fingertips against the mended wound, jaw clenching in irritation as he attempted to just focus on retrieving directions to his next location that had better not be leading to a wild goose chase… 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thaddeus has gotten a lot of spotlight with having three chapters to himself, but don’t worry— Billy’s appearance is definitely approaching...


	4. Betting on Bluffs

“I mean, I might not exactly be able to turn into a superhero here that could totally sucker punch you all the way to Smallville with, like, all these people around right now,” Freddy babbled out as he wearily stared up at the cross armed Thaddeus, the boy’s gaze anxiously darting towards the crowds of students walking around them. “But I could just, you know, start screaming something about stranger danger or whatever, so…” Freddy gave what was meant to be a confident and smug shrug, but it just came off as fidgety and antsy more than anything. 

“You could,” Thaddeus acknowledged with a nod, not seeming the least bit fazed by the threat. “Although I’m not sure that would be the wisest decision given how I made some very useful friends in that prison you and your siblings threw me into,” He calmly lied, casually returning the shrug. “And I would hate for them to have to bring the little girl into this.” 

Freddy’s expression fell, the boy nervously tearing his gaze away from Thaddeus to scan their surroundings. “Where’s Darla?” 

Right— so Darla was her name. “She’s fine,” Thaddeus dismissively assured. “She won’t be approached by any of my acquaintances so long as this goes smoothly.” 

Freddy furrowed his brow, looking at Thaddeus with a frown, eyeing him quizzically. “You’re bluffing.” 

Thaddeus quirked a brow. “Am I now?” Freddy swallowed thickly, straightening up somewhat and anxiously clutching his crutch tighter, trying and failing to give a poised nod of self assurance. “By all means, Freddy, if you want to take that risk then you’re more than welcome to.” Freddy chewed on the inside of his cheek, uncertainly averting his gaze again, hoping some angelic stranger might happen to look his way, meet his stare, and realize something was horribly wrong, because he didn’t know what to do in a situation like this and he needed help and- “If you'd like, I could signal one of them to go ahead and give Darla a little hello so-” 

“No,” Freddy quickly objected. “No,” He repeated, emitting a jaded exhale. “You don’t have to do that— I, uh… I believe you.” He mumbled in defeat, Thaddeus inclining his chin in satisfaction. “I’ll take you to Billy’s place.” He reluctantly sighed. 

“Good choice.” Thaddeus commented, Freddy glancing upwards with a slight glare. “Lead the way.” Thaddeus instructed, Freddy briefly pausing before begrudgingly walking around Thaddeus and gesturing for him to follow. 

Freddy glanced over his shoulder once they were a block or so away from Fawcett, noticing a patiently awaiting Darla, Eugene, and Pedro standing at the school’s curb amongst handfuls of other students. Freddy’s lips thinned, looking up at Thaddeus skeptically, narrowing his eyes at the older man. Thaddeus noticed the younger was staring from the corner of his eye, turning to look at the smaller boy and arching a questioning brow. 

“You were lying about having prison friends or whatever around to threaten Darla, weren’t you?” Freddy accused— again. 

“No.” Thaddeus simply lied once more without missing a beat, not faltering in the least as he redirected his sights straight ahead. 

Freddy’s lips thinned, suspiciously looking Thaddeus over one more time before shaking his head and rolling his eyes, looking forward while grumbling, “I bet you are lying.” Regardless, Freddy wasn’t about to take a chance on his little sister.

“Rather confident about that, are you?” Thaddeus calmly challenged, practically daring the boy to change his mind and face the nonexistent consequences of Thaddeus’ bluff.

“Confident enough to know that a cranky ol’ geezer like you probably doesn’t have much luck with making any friends outside of grumpy demonic entities.” Freddy murmured under his breath with a resentful smirk. 

Thaddeus gave the boy a rather unamused look at that, Freddy hesitantly glancing upwards and noticing the icy stare. Freddy cleared his throat and looked down at his shoes, forcing his smirk to thin out, the substantially vulnerable boy deciding to not test his limits with a bonafide supervillain that had no problem with taking on kids. 

The majority of their initial walk was spent in silence, which Thaddeus had no issue with. Freddy, however, seemed to have great issue with it given how he would occasionally feel the need to break that silence by making an unnecessary comment. Despite Thaddeus either ignoring the comments altogether or offering a dismissively short reply in a careless tone when prompted, Freddy didn’t seem to get the hint that Thaddeus wasn’t particularly in a conversational mood. 

To be fair, Thaddeus was rarely in a conversational mood, and that mood was significantly dampened even more so by the idea of a conversation in any way being engaged in with this persistent chatterbox of utterly useless rambling that seemed to be an endless mechanism with no off switch. 

_ Find us _ . The unhelpful phrase that was becoming somewhat annoyingly repetitive was almost drowned out by Freddy’s persistent yapping, at the very least.  **Almost** . 

“How did you find me in any case?” Freddy spoke up for at least the dozenth time, barely taking time to breathe between sentences. 

“I managed to talk your neighbor into giving me the name of your school,” Thaddeus answered while massaging the bridge of his nose with a furrowed brow, fairly certain a migraine was close to coming on thanks to this boy’s relentless jabbering. “And you stick out like a sore thumb.” 

“I do not stick out like a sore thumb.” Freddy defensively denied, in his oh so fashionable all blue jacket with his all blue jeans and his all blue shoes and his all blue gloves and his all blue hat. For a moment, there was a pleasant pause— and then Freddy ruined it by adding, “So did you just, like, stand outside the school all day like some weirdo until the bell rang, or-” 

“I stayed at the park nearby.” Thaddeus answered in irritation as he wondered how much farther Billy’s place was, noticing Freddy’s once occasional comments were becoming  _ much _ more frequent. 

Freddy gave a nod of understanding. “Gotcha’— that makes more sense.” Thaddeus noticed how the boy’s lips parted yet again from the corner of his eye, causing Thaddeus to inwardly wince while emitting an audibly weary exhale right before the boy said, “What would you have done if I had ditched school with Billy today?” 

“You have three other siblings I could have approached instead.” Thaddeus replied, already regretting not having done so, assuming the three alternatives would be at least somewhat less pesky. 

“Fair enough.” Freddy acknowledged with a shrug, coming to a halt. “So-” 

“How much longer until we get there, exactly?” Thaddeus interjected in aggravation, stopping in his tracks to give Freddy an impatient look, because if it turned out that this boy was running him in circles in attempts to keep him from- 

“Oh we’re, uh, here.” Freddy informed, pointing to the building behind Thaddeus. 

Thaddeus blinked, looking over his shoulder at the apartment behind him. 

_ Finally _ . 

“Call him.” Thaddeus instructed. 

Freddy’s expression fell. “What?” 

“Call him,” Thaddeus repeated. “And tell him to come outside.” Freddy gnawed on his lower lip, hesitating. “Now.” Thaddeus added for good measure, taking an allegedly menacing step forward. 

Freddy gulped. “I- I could just go in and get him and-” 

“You’re staying out here where you can’t transform without being spotted.” Thaddeus knowingly stated as groups of people continued walking around the pair, Freddy’s shoulders slumping in defeat at being so easily analyzed. “Now call Billy, and tell him to come outside.” Freddy frowned, seeming to finally be at a loss for words for once. “Don’t make me repeat myself, boy— my acquaintances are more than aware of where that little girl and the rest of your quaint little family lives.” 

Freddy’s lips pursed at the bluff, his stare hardening into a glare, Thaddeus challengingly inclining his chin and staring right back, silently daring the boy to not heed his warning. 

“What are you going to do to Billy?” Freddy questioned, gripping the crutch tighter. “You obviously don’t have the Sins with you since your eye isn’t all weird and glowy and stuff, so it’s not like you can-” 

“That doesn’t concern you,” Thaddeus interrupted in annoyance. “Now call him and-” 

“It does actually kinda’ concern me since he’s, oh I dunno’, my  **best friend** , you bonafide douchebag!” Freddy snapped with a scoff. “Like, you literally forced me to bring you here— in what way does that possibly not concern me?!” 

Oh for the love of- the boy was making a scene, and now there were people glancing their way as they walked by. Fantastic. 

“I would be more concerned about Darlene right now if I were you.” Thaddeus reminded in a lowered tone. 

“Darla.” Freddy corrected in annoyance. “Her Name is Darla, and you know what? Even if one of your so called prison pals did happen to try and take her hostage or whatever, I bet she’d be quick enough to roundhouse them all the way to Gotham.” Freddy straightened up, inclining his own chin. “In fact, I bet I was pretty right about you not even actually having a bunch of jail buddies backing you up here.” 

“As I said before, you’re more than welcome to take that bet and hope I’m bluffing,” Thaddeus retorted, taking one more step forward and practically looming over the smug boy. “Although I’m fairly certain not even you or any of your siblings have the power to time travel, so you’d  _ really _ better be prepared for any consequences taking that bet may bring for Darla.” 

Freddy’s brief moment of confidence was snuffed out almost as quickly as it had sparked, doubt seeping its way back down into his very core. “We- uh- we haven’t tested out time travel yet… actually.” Thaddeus just gave him an expectant look, Freddy deciding he’d rather not rely on the off chance that time travel came with the whole Shazam shabang in the case Thaddeus was telling the truth. “I-” Freddy swallowed dryly. “Fine— I’ll call Billy,” He agreed in reluctance through a heavy exhale. 

Thaddeus straightened, giving a nod of approval. “Wise choice.” 

Freddy frowned, pulling out his phone— and hesitating. “You’re gonna’ try killing him, aren’t you?” 

“No.” Thaddeus answered flatly, and that— that… wasn’t quite a bluff, or a lie, or a truth; Thaddeus admittedly wasn’t precisely sure on just what he’d do when he finally came face to face with the primary reason he’d been reduced to no more than a powerless man in a degrading inmate’s uniform. 

Okay— maybe Thaddeus did admittedly want a bit of revenge, which he personally felt as though should be understandable; Thaddeus was just debating on what exactly that form of revenge should entail. 

For starters, Thaddeus definitely wanted the Eye of Sin back, although he was still working around how to go about making such demands in his current state; Thaddeus was quite aware that Billy was more than cheeky enough to  _ Shazam _ himself into a nearly invincible superhero in public, even with crowds of people around— each time the boy had felt cornered or gotten desperate enough back when Thaddeus had first attacked him, he hadn’t hesitated to speak the Champion’s name regardless of the risk that came with possibly being seen by a camera or lingering glance. 

“Your  _ no _ was very convincing.” Freddy sarcastically informed, the insincere answer only heightening his assumption that Thaddeus was going to attempt to throttle Billy the second he stepped outside. 

The comment snapped Thaddeus out of his contemplating. “I merely want to chat.” He assured through nearly clenched teeth, which wasn’t very assuring at all. 

Freddy scoffed as he searched for Billy’s name on his contact list. “Right— ‘course you do… because a supervillain insisting he just wants to have a nice and friendly  _ chat _ with his arch nemesis right after kidnapping his best friend is  **totally** convincing.” 

“Just call him.” Thaddeus urged, his already thinly worn patience close to becoming nonexistent. 

“I am calling him.” A miffed Freddy huffed as he hit dial, holding the phone up to his ear and giving Thaddeus a glare. “I swear if you try anything I’ll- Oh hey Billy!” Freddy’s tone immediately changed upon the greeting. “Listen, I was just-” Freddy glanced at Thaddeus, noting the look of warning he was giving him and swallowing thickly, clearing his throat. “I was just, uh, in the neighborhood and stuff… because I wanted to hang out with you… since we didn’t get to, you know, really hang out today.” Thaddeus wondered if Freddy was genuinely this bad at lying, or if he was trying to let Billy know something was amiss. “So do you maybe wanna’ um… come downstairs… to the outside… where I am at… and hang out or whatever?” Thaddeus emitted a sharp sigh of annoyance, Freddy giving him a defensive look. “Yeah I uh- I know. No I know, yeah— I didn’t forget; you told me, like, just this morning.” Freddy spoke up after a pause with an anxious laugh, Thaddeus not sure as to what Billy was saying on the other line. “I just- I kinda’ have something I  _ really _ need to talk with you about… today… in person… right now… if that’s okay… please.” Another pause. “Yeah that should work, thanks man…” Freddy’s hand was nearly shaking, Thaddeus noted, the boy clutching the phone considerably tightly. “Okay, sounds good… See you in a bit.” 

“Well?” Thaddeus questioned with crossed arms as Freddy ended the call. 

Freddy shoved his phone into his pocket, beginning to look just as annoyed as Thaddeus. “He’s not supposed to come outside since he’s grounded, but he said he’ll act like he’s just taking out the trash so he can meet for, like, a minute.” 

Thaddeus tilted his head with a raised brow, the right corner of his lip curling upwards ever so slightly in a sort of satisfied amusement, barely enough to be visible. “Grounded?” 

“Yeah, his uncle’s a real prick,” Freddy informed while readjusting his gloves, it becoming noticeably chilly. “We’ve barely hung out with Billy since his dad’s jerkface brother decided to just waltz in and take custody and then ground him, like, a gazillion times for a bunch of stuff that was a total load of B.S.,” Freddy zipped up his jacket, shivering somewhat. “Plus, his uncle pretty much hates all of us for some reason— even Darla, which makes it really obvious he’s just an all around grump, so he probably wouldn’t let Billy hang out with us even if he wasn’t grounded.” Freddy didn’t seem to notice or care that Thaddeus was not encouraging him to continue talking whatsoever, the boy adding, “Billy’s run away back to our place a few times, but the cops figured out I was sneaking him into our room every time he bailed, so there’s not really much use in him trying that anymore since it’s the first place they look now when his uncle calls in a report.” 

“All right.” Thaddeus dryly replied in the most uninterested tone he could muster, hoping that would convey the hint that he  _ really _ didn’t have any desire to listen to Freddy’s strung together words that sounded like an incoherent mess of jumbled syllables and- 

“None of us really know why his uncle was so persistent about adopting him with how much of a grouch the old dude is,” Freddy continued, Thaddeus’ jaw clenching. “So it sounds fishy, right? Like, I’m pretty sure he doesn’t even like Billy— maybe even hates him! And yet-” 

The main entrance to the apartment opened, Freddy’s words coming to a halt as Billy Batson stood at the threshold. 

_ Finally _ . 

Billy dropped the trash bag at the sight of Thaddeus, questioning gaze snapping towards the sheepish Freddy, Billy looking just about ready to say an all too familiar two syllable word that would have lightning raining from the sky. 

“Hello again, Billy.” Thaddeus greeted in an eerily calm tone that was much too quiet for comfort, Billy uneasily glancing at the security camera displayed just outside the apartment that was pointing their way. 

“Supervillain.” Freddy meekly warned while awkwardly pointing towards Thaddeus, Billy giving Freddy a look and earning an anxious chuckle. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apparently there’s 41 results for “DC Comic Prisons”, so that’s fun...


	5. Nonexistent Threats

Thaddeus placed a hand on the nervous Freddy’s shoulder, the gesture being enough to make Billy hesitate and not impulsively speak the Champion’s name he’d been given at his disposal. 

“What do you want?” Billy questioned, not tearing his gaze away from Thaddeus as he warily grabbed the trash bag he’d dropped at his feet, pausing before uneasily stepping outside and closing the main entrance’s door behind him. 

Thaddeus parted his lips to answer, but not before Freddy blurted out, “He made me bring him here— he said some dudes from jail would go after Darla if I didn’t, and-” 

“Darla?” Billy interjected, eyes momentarily widening before hardening into a glare, mouth opening to undoubtedly spit out baseless accusations stemming from a childish heroic complex that resulted in a much too bold attitude. 

“The girl’s fine,” Thaddeus dismissively assured before Billy could make a scene, Thaddeus not interested in discussing such inferior matters when there were more significant things to be said. “And she’ll remain fine so long as neither of you cause any trouble.” 

Freddy scoffed. “Oh, right, so we’re not allowed to, ya’ know, defend ourselves if need be since that’s way too much trouble for you, but you’re totally allowed to basically kidnap us— cool.” He shrugged, sarcastically adding, “I mean, I guess being kidnapped isn't any trouble for us, huh? It’s not like I had actual plans today that have pretty much been ruined… This definitely won’t heighten my trust issues or anything like that and-” 

“This isn’t kidnapping.” An irked Thaddeus stated unamused, feeling as though this entire thing was being blown out of proportion considering both irksome boys were unrestrained and  currently unharmed. 

Freddy gave a nod of mock agreement. “Sure it’s not. You’re just, you know… holding onto my shoulder menacingly so I can’t run away— and threatening Darla if I try to get help from anyone; not to mention you pretty much forced me to bring you here. Definitely not a hostage situation at all.” 

Thaddeus gave Freddy a look of warning, the boy clearing his throat and fidgeting under his grip, Freddy’s gaze averting awkwardly. 

“You have thirty seconds to tell me whatever it is you came here for, mister.” Billy finally spoke up while walking around Thaddeus, using that familiar nickname the older man wasn’t particularly fond of—  _ mister _ ; no one had ever dared to refer to him as anything other than  _ Dr. Sivana _ for years… until this nuisance. 

Thaddeus arched a brow, eyes narrowing at how the boy was essentially just… simply walking away from him. “Thirty seconds?” Thaddeus inquired, dismissively releasing Freddy’s shoulder and quizzically striding after the ballsy boy, Freddy quickly limping after them. 

“Unless you want my uncle getting suspicious and coming to check up on why it’s taking me so long to take out the trash, then yeah— you have about thirty seconds to say whatever it is that you wanna’ say.” Billy elaborated while heaving open a dumpster and chucking the trash in, surprisingly enough seeming more unamused than even Thaddeus was at the moment— the boy wasn’t nearly as cheeky as Thaddeus recalled him being, strangely enough… 

Thaddeus couldn’t help but feel somewhat insulted by how nonchalantly Billy was handling this— the boy barely seemed to care enough to be bothered by his arrival… as though Thaddeus was not to be taken seriously; Thaddeus would not stand for this boy degrading him even further by underestimating him so dismissively merely because he was in a more humanlike state that lacked the Eye of Sin. 

“You took something from me,” Thaddeus coldly informed as Billy turned away from the dumpster to face him, the boy’s arms crossing. “And I want it back.” 

“Obviously.” Billy replied thoroughly unimpressed, the snark not unexpected yet oddly drier than usual and lacking in its typical amusement. 

Thaddeus thinned his lips at how Billy did little more than barely acknowledge his request. “For Freddy and Darla’s sake, I’d recommend getting The Eye back to me by nightfall, boy.” 

“Or what?” Billy scoffed more than snickered, his expression resembling something akin to a scowl rather than any familiar smirk. “Me, Darla, and Freddy don’t need a  _ demon ball _ to send a lightning bolt at you— all we have to say is one word and there’s not exactly a whole lot you can do to us like-” Billy vaguely gestured towards just… pretty much  **all** of Thaddeus. “-this.” 

“Your old foster parents aren’t quite as invulnerable though, now are they?” Thaddeus spoke in a fraudulently knowing tone, noting the way Billy’s expression fell oh so tellingly; so the boy apparently hadn’t transferred any of his powers to the rest of his family— that meant the parents likely weren’t aware of their children’s little secret…  _ good _ . “It would be a shame if something happened to them,” Thaddeus continued, inclining his chin, the older man’s confidence rising from how easy it was to read these juveniles like a book, this practically being child’s play. “Not to mention how unfortunate it would be if one of your siblings weren’t quite quick enough to say that catchy little phrase that could be the difference between life or death.” Thaddeus’ threats teetered on the verge of coming across as mocking, the older man adding for good measure, “You all may very well have the power of the Wizard, but you’re still just as defenseless and human as everyone else when you’re not playing the role of the heroes, aren’t you?” 

Needless to say, Billy didn’t particularly appreciate the ill intended reminder. “We’d be in even more danger if you had the Sins back.” He nonetheless countered, pointedly adding, “No offense and all, but I wouldn’t really trust that you’d actually back off after getting a bunch of demons on your side again considering you were pretty insistent about obsessively hunting us down for that whole  _ transfer of power _ thing and literally didn’t chill out until you were, you know, powerless or whatever.” 

“I’m giving you a chance to keep you and your siblings safe,” Thaddeus pointed out, this bluff being essentially the only thing he had to currently go on. “I would take it if I were you.” 

“Taking your word on this would literally just make us more unsafe.” Billy haughtily retorted, almost becoming more impatient than Thaddeus peculiarly enough. “The only good option here would be one where we transform so you can’t try anything and drop you off at the nearest police station.” 

“Okay,” Freddy anxiously spoke up. “Can we, like, maybe not forget about Darla being potentially being in danger right now where she could get surprise attacked? Because I feel like that’s something we should probably, ya’ know, keep in mind since we’re not, uh, really sure about whether that whole threat was a bluff or not and all that.” Freddy swallowed thickly. “Plus I feel like it’s probably not the best idea to transform in front of all of these people and security cameras, so-” Billy gave Freddy a look of disbelief, Freddy blinking at the vague smugness settling over Thaddeus’ face. “Oh. Right— you were trying to pull a warning bluff, huh?” Freddy cleared his throat at the annoyed stare Billy gave him. “You know what? I’ll just shut up now— I’m done; go ahead… sorry.” 

Billy rolled his eyes, shaking his head and exhaling heavily, turning his attention back towards the awaiting Thaddeus. “I’m still not convinced we can take your word,” Billy flatly informed, which was fair enough really, but still an irksome thing for Thaddeus to hear. “So I’m not about to just hand over something that would only make you more of a danger than you already-” 

“William!” A grating voice called out, the boy in question inwardly wincing and pursing his lips at the familiar sound. “Everything okay down there?” Shouted a man peering down from a window a few stories up. “You finished taking out that trash yet?” 

“Yeah, Uncle Eb,” Billy called back, hoping he wasn’t about to get another week of grounding on top of all the other B.S. he had to deal with right now, this quite literally being one of the worst times Thaddeus Sivana could have possibly returned just to throw more problems his way. “I was just-” 

“Who are you talking to down there?” The uncle interjected questioningly. “Is that Freeman?” He quizzically added, the disapproval in his tone less than subtle. 

“No one,” Billy evasively answered. “Just some guys that needed directions.” He lied as Freddy awkwardly kept his gaze cast downwards in attempts to obscure his face from the uncle attempting to get a better look at him, Thaddeus massaging the bridge of his nose in annoyance at the interruption. 

“Well get on back up here,” The man called  _ Eb _ beckoned. “You still have twenty-eight more days to go before you’re allowed to hang about,” He reminded, Billy carelessly rolling his eyes since his uncle was too high up to see him do so. “And you still have to put the dishes back in the cupboards!” 

“I know, I was just fixing to come back up,” Billy assured before grumbling under his breath, “And I was letting them dry…” 

“Well hurry on up now— there’s no time for dallying today.” Uncle Eb chided before disappearing from view, the window sliding shut. 

Billy sent Thaddeus an accusatory glare, fairly certain he was going to get another week piled onto his groundment thanks to this. 

“Twenty-eight days?” Freddy spoke up in disbelief. “Is he seriously keeping track of that many-” 

“Will you be okay getting back home by yourself?” Billy inquired, obviously feeling rushed yet more concerned about Freddy’s safety than anything. “There’s a place you can Shaza-” Billy paused before correcting, “ _ Transform _ at the back of the building near the smoking sign— it’s a blind spot for the cameras.” 

Freddy glanced at Thaddeus before returning his gaze to Billy and shrugging nonchalantly. “Yeah I’ll be fine, man. I mean, he can’t really actually do anything to me in public— I was mostly just worried about Darla.” 

The two pests were talking as though Thaddeus wasn’t literally standing right there, which was quite aggravating. In fact, everything about the pair of brats were aggravating. 

“Call me when you get home so I know you’re good?” Billy requested, walking towards the apartment’s main entrance. “And maybe call Pedro to update him on what’s going on— just so they’re prepared in case, you know…” Billy gestured towards Thaddeus, the boy’s hand on the doorknob. “... he possibly isn’t bluffing.” 

“Got it!” Freddy acknowledged, already making his way down the sidewalk, Thaddeus frowning and looking back and forth between the two boys that were simply walking away from him. 

“You have until tonight to come back out here and return what you stole,” Thaddeus stated, deciding to direct his attention towards Billy— Freddy was an annoyance, but he certainly wasn’t Thaddeus’ primary target. “Unless you want your family to face the consequences of your inaction.” 

Billy flipped Thaddeus off over his shoulder as the door began to shut behind him, defending with an irritatingly immense amount of nonchalance, “I just stole back what you stole first, mister.” 

“Tonight, boy,” Thaddeus firmly repeated, this bluff being practically all he had. “You have until tonight to make a choice that could save or be the end of your family.” 

Billy noted the particularly menacing tone, looking back to give Thaddeus one more defiant glare right as the door shut behind him. 

The already scowling Thaddeus’ frown deepened upon realizing he’d potentially given Billy approximately eight or so hours to make a final decision on this… which ultimately meant Thaddeus would very possibly be spending eight hours outside this dreary apartment where it was substantially cold— and rather noisy… and considerably windy. 

Thaddeus was beginning to wonder if he should have just threatened Darla into retrieving the Eye of Sin for him instead. Yes, Billy was the primary nuisance he sought to best, but Thaddeus could have dealt with him  _ after _ regaining his power— the little girl probably would have been much more gullible. Even Freddy had been noticeably easier to intimidate, but in Thaddeus’ defense he recalled Billy being rather easy to frighten given how many times the boy had run from him like a coward before finally facing him; perhaps it was victory that had made the boy cocky. 

Regardless, Thaddeus couldn’t undo what had been done— he’d simply have to hope that Billy took the bait and fell for his bluff. If Billy didn’t, then Thaddeus would merely have to recalculate another plan and keep his mistakes in mind when taking another attempt at achieving success. Just as his initial search for the Sins had been, this was also a mere matter of trial and error. 

At best, the bluff would work and Billy would hand over the Eye of Sin just to be safe in efforts to keep his family safe from nonexistent threats. A not so good outcome would be one in which Billy ultimately called Thaddeus’ bluff and carelessly brushed off his warnings due to underestimating Thaddeus in his current state. An even worse alternative would involve Billy threatening Thaddeus right back as Shazam in attempts to get him to back off. At the absolute worst, Billy would call the cops and Thaddeus would be waking up in an all too familiar jail cell tomorrow morning. 

As much as Thaddeus would have liked to believe things were looking up, he’d be lying if he claimed such given the unfortunately heavy rainfall that began moments after his  _ reunion _ with the frustrating boy. The downpour forced Thaddeus to leave the nearby bench he’d been sitting on with an alleged scowl and stiffly crossed arms, finding refuge in a lonesome mini shop complex only a few meters away from the apartment. Most of the storefronts in the small building were either shut down or closed, the tiny shopping area lacking in customers despite the crowds of people walking by. 

Thaddeus sat on one of the lower steps on the complex’s front staircase due to there not being a proper sitting area, massaging the bridge of his nose while exhaling sharply as he furrowed his brow and attempted to determine what his next move should be. It was difficult to have a clear mind under the circumstances, however, given how he was tired, cold, and could really use a meal right now. This was all unfamiliar territory to him; not having an apartment to go back to as he pleased— not having funds to buy essentials… not having some manner of power over anyone or anything. 

Thaddeus was used to a few things here and there being somewhat out of his control to an extent, but he was not quite as used to feeling as though anything and everything around him was spiraling out of control utterly and completely. 

_ Find us _ . The phrase that was syncing with each pitter-patter of the leaking raindrops dripping onto the staircase he was sitting in certainly didn’t help; could the Sins not offer a more useful phrase? Such as how to best go about finding them, for example. Even just a mere hint would be greatly appreciated given how lost Thaddeus was beginning to feel with such limited options. 

This was…  _ frustrating _ . Immensely, unamusingly, annoyingly frustrating. 

The exasperated Thaddeus emitted a weary sigh, leaning against the handrail and crossing his arms, his brow seeming to be in a constantly furrowed state lately. 

Thaddeus was  _ tired _ . He was tired of not being in control, and being degraded, and being powerless. He was tired of feeling as though his lifetime of trials and errors consisted of more errors than successes— tired of feeling like those successes were coming to a halt… tired of having to do every little thing all by himself if he wanted it done competently and effectively; Thaddeus was just- 

Tired. Thaddeus was just tired overall in every way possible— he hadn’t slept since the breakout. 

Thaddeus admittedly began to doze off sometime around nightfall, not even managing to be kept awake by the aggravation regarding how Billy evidently wasn’t going to be fooled by the bluff from the looks of it, unfortunately enough. 

Nonetheless, Thaddeus managed to catch a break for a few hours in his sleep— if you would consider the usual ineffective nightmares a form of catching a break; he got a moment to rest, regardless, and that was something at the very least.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Despite being fully aware of how Billy’s uncle initially played a fairly significant role back when the first Captain Marvel/Shazam comics were being made, I was not prepared to find out his uncle’s name is apparently Ebenezer— like Ebenezer Scrooge from “A Christmas Carol.” 
> 
> I never felt the need to actually google his uncle’s name until this fic and did a genuine double-take when realizing his name was legitimately Ebenezer Batson. 
> 
> Can you imagine your parents naming your brother a normal name like Clarence or Charles and then naming you after the greedy old dude that was haunted by Ghosts of Christmas Past? 
> 
> Anyways he’s going to be referred to as Uncle Eb in this comic because I feel like that flows better and every time I tried to write “Ebenezer” I kept imaging Donald Duck’s uncle from Disney’s 1983 animated film “Mickey’s Christmas Carol.”


	6. Stairwell Utilizations

Sometime in the early morning in which the moon still hovered high and not a trace of sunshine was yet to be seen, Thaddeus was awakened by the sound of footsteps sprinting against wet concrete that surpassed the dreamlike mantra of  _ find us _ . 

Thaddeus blinked a few times as his vision refocused, taking a moment to register the fact that there was a boy nearly tripping over his two own feet as he skidded to a halt in front of the sidewalk stretching along the staircase’s path, and- oh.  _ Oh _ . It seemed as though Billy Batson had come after all. 

Thaddeus straightened up, wondering if his plan had actually worked, frowning upon noticing there was no sight of the Eye of Sin as Billy made a sharp turn down the sidewalk, not quite sure as to why else the boy would bother approaching him. Billy sped along the concrete pathway towards the staircase, abruptly freezing in his tracks at the sight of Thaddeus and going wide eyed, resembling a deer caught in headlights and briefly glancing over his shoulder before returning his wary stare towards the older man. Thaddeus quirked a brow while standing, head tilting intrigued, the boy clearly debating on turning around and- 

“William!” A familiar voice called out, Billy visibly tensing at that, Thaddeus’ brow raising further. “William!” The quickly approaching Eb repeated in a raised voice. “William you get back here right now, young man!” Billy anxiously glanced over his shoulder one more time before looking back towards Thaddeus, frantically considering his options. “I am fed up with this runaway bull!” Thaddeus merely dismissively adjusted his glasses, not fazed in the least. “This is no way to thank someone that took you in— my next shift is in an hour, and you’re making me go on another wild goose chase!” 

Ah— so  _ that’s _ why the boy was here. 

Billy released a strained sigh, hoping he wouldn’t regret this and begrudgingly sprinting right by Thaddeus only to scurry under the stairwell that the older man was standing in front of, practically baseball-sliding into the only thing offering him any cover. 

Thaddeus inclined his chin, looking over his shoulder at Billy, peering at the boy through the staircase’s metal gaps between each step. “Do you have the Eye?” He inquired all too calmly. 

Billy’s gut sank, his fallen expression being answer enough, the boy parting his lips to reply, but quickly clamping his mouth shut at the sight of his uncle coming around the corner, ducking down further to avoid being seen. 

“Did you see a boy come by here?” Uncle Eb questioned, Thaddeus directing his attention towards him instead; the uncle was simply an altogether ordinary looking fellow— at least somewhat older than Thaddeus from the looks of it, and he was likely some kind of businessman given his ironed green suit; he was a gangly geezer with narrowed eyes behind sharp glasses, stiffly pursed lips, and permanent crinkles between his graying eyebrows. 

Thaddeus considered his options— briefly. “A boy?” He casually replied, head tilting, more than aware that he could get a bit of vengeance by revealing Billy’s hiding place. “There was a teenager that ran by here,” He confirmed with a shrug, gesturing towards the curb the uncle was standing near. “But he didn’t come down this way.” Vengeance, however, was not Thaddeus’ top priority— his top priority was getting ahold of the Eye of Sin one way or another; vengeance was only his second priority, and could come later. 

“By here?” Uncle Eb questioned, pointing further down the sidewalk towards a crosswalk, Thaddeus nodding. “That unruly little…” Uncle Eb grumbled under his breath as he wasted no time swiftly trekking the way Thaddeus had directed him. 

Thaddeus waited until the uncle was out of view before crossing his arms behind his back and turning to face the staircase, catching Billy’s weary gaze and inclining his chin towards the boy. 

Ever so hesitantly, Billy crawled out of his hiding place beneath the stairwell, eyeing Thaddeus over quizzically as the older man gave him an inquisitive look. 

“Thanks.” Billy mumbled with a hint of unease to his tone, cautiously remaining on guard and not daring to tear his uncertain stare away from Thaddeus. 

“You clearly don’t have the Eye on you,” Thaddeus observed. “I would recommend finding a way to retrieve it if you don’t want me to call back over that uncle of yours— and I’d recommend doing so quickly.”

Billy’s wary expression hardened, Thaddeus noting the boy looked just about ready to bolt. “I’ve outrun him plenty of times.” He stated with a shrug, his voice matching Thaddeus’ own bitter tone. 

Thaddeus didn’t see why this child had to be so infuriatingly difficult, the older man unable to keep irritation from seeping through his tone as he impatiently replied, “I didn’t do you a favor for free,  _ boy _ .” 

“Well then just don’t do me any more favors if you’re gonna’ expect something,  _ gramps _ , because the Eye thing isn’t up for exchange.” Billy haughtily retorted. “I didn’t ask you to help me— you just happened to be where I ended up hiding out at.” 

What an ungrateful little… “Noted.” Thaddeus coldly commented, annoyingly aware there wasn’t much he could do here outside of attempted manipulations that were mediocre at best considering he didn’t have much at his disposal— which Billy unfortunately seemed to be becoming increasingly aware of. Regardless, Thaddeus would keep in mind to just rat out the brat next time, reckoning he could at least find satisfaction in that. 

The miffed Billy opted to more or less ignore the presence of the thoroughly unamused Thaddeus, the boy sitting on one of the staircase’s lower steps. Thaddeus narrowed his eyes, arms crossing in irritation as the unmannerly juvenile decided to make himself feel right at home and steal Thaddeus’ seat. Thaddeus didn’t particularly want to provoke someone who could turn into an overpowered  _ superhero _ on a whim, but this fifteen-year-old was thoroughly trying his patience. 

Thaddeus gritted his teeth and leaned back against a nearby pillar with a scowl, reckoning it would be best to keep an eye on Billy and stay on guard just in case the nuisance decided to speak Shazam’s name and be less merciful this time around given how the teenager was clearly having a bad day. 

Thaddeus raised a brow, noting the boy was clutching his arm, tilting his head quizzically as Billy drew back his sleeve with a wince, revealing a minor sliver of a burn stretching along his forearm. 

Billy caught the inquisitive look Thaddeus was giving him, defensively grumbling, “I burnt myself cooking that douchebag’s breakfast.” 

It took a moment for Thaddeus to realize Billy was referring to his uncle. “Not used to having to cook?” He commented in a near mock, assuming Billy had been spoiled silly by his previous family that had seemed to substantially dote on their children as far as Thaddeus could tell. 

“I know how to cook,” Billy snapped, the faintest trace of a barely visible smirk tugging at Thaddeus’ lips. “My uncle’s just a lumbering jerk that can’t wait for five seconds to grab something without getting all impatient and shovey.” 

Thaddeus’ brow raised further. “I presume that’s why you were running?” 

Billy rolled his eyes at the question he was less than keen on answering; who even said stuff like  _ presume  _ nowadays anyways? “No— he bumped my arm against the stove by accident,” He informed, tone noticeably defensive. “So that was like, fine or whatever, I guess,” He shrugged off in a strangely dismissive manner. “But he was trying to take my phone away from me in the process since I’m not really supposed to actually have one because of his B.S. rules, so that’s why I ran.” 

“Because he found out you’d been using the phone when you were grounded?” Thaddeus inquired unimpressed. “A phone I’m assuming he pays the bills for.” 

“I pay for it,” Billy informed more than a little annoyed by Thaddeus’ patronizing tone. “And I’m not supposed to use it even when I’m not grounded— I’m not technically allowed to have one at all, so-” 

“So you were keeping it a secret and he caught you.” Thaddeus musingly offered. 

Billy gave the ever so condescending Thaddeus yet another glare. “It’s one of the only ways I can keep up with Freddy and them, so yeah— I was keeping it a secret.” And rightfully so, as far as Billy was concerned given how ridiculously strict his uncle was; Billy wasn’t about to lose touch with the one family out of many that he’d actually felt at home with. 

Thaddeus admittedly found the slightest bit of bitter amusement in the way he so easily goaded Billy under these new circumstances, the boy nowhere near as annoyingly smug as he remembered him being. “How exactly do you pay for that phone of yours?” 

“My uncle needed some help around the house with bills or whatever, so he made me get a job at a diner a few blocks down,” Billy informed, not appreciating the skepticism, wincing as he pulled his sleeve back over the small burn, hoping it wouldn’t leave a scar. “And he got pissed off about finding out I’d been holding back some of  _ my _ money to pay for  _ my _ phone bills.” 

“So the great Shazam has to work at a cheap burger joint to make ends meet, essentially.” Thaddeus commented with amusement tinting his voice just so. 

Billy gave Thaddeus a look. “It’s a  _ diner _ , not a burger joint,” He corrected, as though that was much better. “And at least I have a phone— do they allow those in prison?” 

Thaddeus’ trace of a faint smirk hardened at the mocking inquiry, the boy ever so sarcastic even when he wasn’t particularly in the best of moods. “Unfortunately, no— I had mine taken away the moment you and your siblings threw me into that box of barred off concrete, along with all of my other possessions.” 

Billy rolled his eyes at the dramatics. “Gee sorry mister, next time I’ll be sure to just let you roam free and continue your attempts at demonically murdering anyone and everyone in your vicinity.” 

“I did not attempt to kill  _ anyone and everyone in my vicinity _ ,” Thaddeus denied irked. “I merely allowed the Sins free reign to attack those deserving of their attacks.” 

Billy scoffed. “Oh right, because you telling Lust or whatever to  _ kill the little girl _ was  **totally** something Darla deserved.” 

Thaddeus’ jaw clenched at the quote. “I redacted the order when you acted as though you were ready to comply.” Keyword being  _ acted _ . 

“Yeah, well Darla had more than enough nightmares about you and the Sins basically terrorizing the living daylights out of her and everyone else at the carnival, so I don’t really care about any ulterior intentions you might have had when doing stuff like, ya’ know, traumatizing a nine-year-old.” Billy said more than a little sourly. “Like no offense, but clarifying that you pretty much used an innocent kid just to blackmail me isn’t exactly the best excuse to go on if you’re trying to make your actions somehow not sound completely awful.” 

Thaddeus frowned, pausing a moment before reminding, “I could have just allowed him to have his way and kill her— I didn’t have to call off the order with four other siblings at my disposal; you should consider yourself lucky that I didn’t use her as a warning to show my demands were no laughing matter.” 

“Do you honestly feel like that somehow makes what you did any better?” Billy questioned in disbelief, wondering how Thaddeus could act like he wasn’t giving excuses that were totally villain-guy material. “Because it  _ really _ doesn’t change the fact that you still _ kidnapped _ my family and put all of them through some  _ seriously _ dicey stuff— letting them live isn’t the same thing as letting them go, I dunno’... unscathed I guess, and you don’t deserve a reward for not being utterly as horrible as you could have been, mister, because you were  _ still _ pretty awful.” 

“The world can be relatively awful sometimes,” Thaddeus retorted, his shoulders quirking upwards in an offhand manner, nonchalantly adding, “And you could have had worse.” Thaddeus wouldn’t deny that he could be ruthless, but there were many out there much more heinous than even him. “Whining about such trivial matters to others won't get you anywhere in any case.” 

“Wow, thanks for the advice— I can tell your parents just gave you the  _ greatest _ pep talks, huh?” Billy sarcastically drawled. 

Thaddeus narrowed his eyes, Billy’s expression uneasily faltering at the taller’s particularly icy glare, a frown meeting the boy’s face as Thaddeus ultimately decided to not engage with such a comment and instead shook his head in irritation and looked off to the side, the older man silently occupying himself with reading the advertisements on a nearby bulletin board as he refused to encourage the pesky boy’s unwanted comments any further. 

Huh— touchy subject then… 

“So I’m guessing you didn’t really have any prison buddies or whatever ready to take Darla and the others hostage, huh?” Billy hesitantly spoke up after a stretch of uncomfortable silence, earning a cold look from Thaddeus. “I mean, Freddy texted me a bit ago and said nothing out of the ordinary happened even though I missed your deadline, so…” Billy rubbed the back of his neck somewhat awkwardly. “It was a bluff, right?” 

Thaddeus didn’t see why the boy seemingly felt the need to rub salt in the wound more than he already had. “Yes.” Thaddeus reluctantly acknowledged given how it would be foolish to make any further attempts to pretend otherwise given how his threats had now been unveiled as no more than shams, his jaw clenching as he prepared himself for another jab from the cheeky pest. 

Billy gave a nod, expecting as much. “Did you actually make any friends in prison then, or..?” He trailed off, Thaddeus’ brow furrowing quizzically at how the boy evasively averted his gaze towards the ground. 

“No,” Thaddeus eventually answered after a brief moment, not seeing a reason to lie despite not wanting to be the center of whatever jest he assumed was surely coming, causing him to clarify after a beat, “I was kept in solitary confinement during my time there.” 

Billy blinked, looking up at Thaddeus, fairly certain there was no way he’d heard that right. “The whole time?” Thaddeus raised a brow at the frown on the boy’s face, giving a hesitant nod of confirmation. “Aren’t you supposed to get, I dunno’... some time outside or a chance to eat at the cafeteria or a place to hang out with other prisoners for a little while or whatever?” 

Thaddeus wasn’t quite sure as to what the upcoming punchline here was bound to be, pausing before giving a shrug. “They delivered all my meals, and I’d never set foot outside of my cell since being locked in until the breakout.” 

Billy chewed on the inside of his cheek, Thaddeus not sure as to why he looked so… antsy? Broody? Unsure? Thaddeus couldn’t quite place the emotion on the boy’s face as Billy asked, “Did you at least have a cellmate?” 

Thaddeus momentarily considered mentioning the green wor-  **caterpillar** . Ultimately, he decided against bringing up what had allegedly been a socially deprived hallucination. “No— hence the word  _ solitary _ .” 

Surprisingly enough, the slight jab at Billy didn’t earn a jab back, the boy not seeming the least bit fazed by the ever so slightly mockful comment as he asked, “What about visiting rights? Did they let you see friends ‘n family and stuff?” 

“I have colleagues— not fatuous friends, boy,” Thaddeus eyed over Billy suspiciously, wondering what he was playing at here. “And what remains of my family isn’t exactly keen on seeing me considering one of my charges regard disposing of my sisters’ brother and my mother’s husband.” 

“Oh.” Billy mumbled, noticing the way Thaddeus’ tone sharpened at the mention of his family, further confirming the sore subject. 

Thaddeus narrowed his eyes at the simple reply, looking the boy over skeptically when not being met with any joke at his expense, uncertain as to why the imprudent boy wasn’t taking the chance to brazenly provoke him. “Did you have a point you were trying to make here?” Thaddeus inquired in a near sigh, tired of beating around the bush, wanting the boy to just spit out whatever one-liner he’d come up with that would undeniably be unimpressively childish. 

Billy shrugged. “Not really,” He answered perplexingly enough, once again not meeting Thaddeus’ questioning stare, obviously debating on something that likely wasn’t worth the older man’s time. “What are you going to do now, anyway?” 

Thaddeus’ head tilted. “Now?” 

“That you’ve broken out.” Billy clarified, fiddling with a stray string on his sleeve. “Like, are you going to go on the run or try to take on a new identity or something?” 

Thaddeus crossed his arms. “Frankly? I assumed I would be back in prison by now considering you called my bluff.” 

Billy made a point of keeping his eyes cast downwards towards his tattered sleeve. “Oh.” 

Another  _ oh _ — why was that seemingly becoming the boy’s favorite word? It was better than him not being able to shut up, but it was still somewhat puzzling since he wasn’t providing Thaddeus with a reason as to why he hadn’t already  _ Shazammed _ him back to his jail cell. 

“I have an old friend I’m considering reaching out to in Gotham that could likely be of some help.” Thaddeus finally answered, not quite sure as to why he was actually bothering with telling Billy any of this. 

“Didn’t you just say you don’t have friends? Only colleagues?” Billy quipped, the sarcasm evident, but not quite as harsh. 

“Acquaintance.” Thaddeus corrected, not exactly kindly yet not precisely sharply either. “I don’t plan on giving more information than that,” He stated before Billy could ask. “Considering I’d prefer not being easily tracked.” He’d probably already said too much, really. 

“Fair enough.” Billy acknowledged with a shrug, the slightly tense Thaddeus relaxing somewhat upon realizing the boy wasn’t about to use his upper hand as a bonafide superhero to further interrogate him. “Does that mean you’re gonna’ give up on trying to get the demon ball thing since you’re going to hideout in Gotham until things blow over or whatever?” 

Thaddeus doubted Billy would just allow him to run off to Gotham, and yet the boy was making no move whatsoever to stop him. “No,” Thaddeus answered honestly, assuming Billy wouldn’t believe him in any case if he said otherwise. “I would assume the so called  _ witches _ the city claims to inhabit could potentially have some valuable intel regarding the  **Eye** .” Thaddeus didn’t see why Billy couldn’t just use the proper term, not particularly fond of the title  _ demon ball thing _ . 

Billy did give Thaddeus a look at the mention of further pursuing the Eye of Sin, Thaddeus deciding it would be best to not try his luck— the boy could still change his mind on playing this peacefully, after all. 

Nonetheless, Billy just shook his head in a strange sort of disapproval at the comment while rolling his eyes and standing up with a sigh, causing Thaddeus to cautiously straighten despite the boy making no move to approach him. 

“I should get going,” Billy said, rubbing the back of his neck. “Before Uncle Eb comes back this way.” He stuffed his hands into his jacket’s front pocket, averting his gaze and pausing before awkwardly shuffling around and mumbling, “Thanks for, uh, you know… not telling my uncle where I was… and all.” He looked off to the side, Thaddeus’ brow arching. “I mean, I know you pretty much just did it because you wanted a favor back so you could blackmail your way into getting the Sins or whatever, but still— thanks, I guess.” Thaddeus just stared at Billy, not offering a reply, Billy clearing his throat. “So like, take care… and stuff.” Billy resisted the urge to facepalm himself at the farewell; what kind of hero tells his diabolical archenemy to  _ take care _ ? “Just- yeah. Bye.” Billy sighed, deciding to turn on his heel and walk away before he made an even bigger fool of himself, leaving a somewhat baffled Thaddeus to wonder if this was some kind of trick. 

Billy only managed to get about halfway down the walkway before halting in his tracks, pausing and considering his options with a frown. Billy stole a glance over his shoulder at the uncertain and reasonably cautious Thaddeus before quickly redirecting his gaze forward and releasing a heavy exhale, the boy’s brow furrowing and eyes shutting in contemplation as he accepted the fact that he was probably going to  _ really _ regret doing this. 

Ever so hesitantly, Billy turned back around, which Thaddeus assumed wasn’t a good thing given how the boy was suddenly very quickly walking this way, and oh great he’d probably already changed his mind about just nonsensically letting him go free and was almost definitely going to  _ Shazam _ and- 

“There’s this place I usually hideout at whenever I runaway that’s under a highway ramp,” Billy informed, arms crossing as he came to a stop in front of Thaddeus, the older man’s brow arching. “It’s not exactly fancy, but the people there look out for each other, and there’s almost always someone keeping a burn barrel going whenever it’s cold, and sometimes they have canned foods,” From the looks of it, Thaddeus hadn’t done anything but seek out the Wizard’s Champion since the breakout that had occurred over a little over a day ago. “Plus if you’re lucky there might even a spare sleeping bag up for borrow,” Despite the realization rapidly dawning on Billy regarding just how bad of an idea this was, he reckoned he couldn’t really back down after already pursuing said idea that could very possibly become disastrous. “And it’s near the diner I work at, too, so it’s not far from here.” 

For a moment, Thaddeus just stared at Billy. “And you’re telling me this why, exactly?” Was the boy wanting to rub in the fact that he had a place to stay even when he was homeless, unlike Thaddeus? 

So Thaddeus was really gonna’ make him say it, huh? Fine. Billy emitted a weary sigh before somewhat reluctantly replying in a more than hesitant voice, “If you need a place to stay until you can find a way to get to that friend of yours Gotham, then I guess you can come stay there or whatever if you want— I could, you know, introduce you to everyone… They’re pretty welcoming for the most part, and if I say I, like, know you and stuff then it should be fine.” 

Thaddeus’ brow raised further, most certainly not expecting the offer in the least— at all… whatsoever. “Why would-” He briefly paused, not knowing whether to question why he should even consider trusting an offer like that from the person that had taken his power and put him behind bars, or instead question why Billy would ever consider giving such an offer to a man that had nearly annihilated him and his family less than a year ago. 

Billy was quick to speak up when Thaddeus momentarily found himself at a loss for words, the boy somewhat defensively stating, “I just don’t want you to starve, or get frostbite, or get mugged because you slept in the wrong place or something, all right? You’re obviously not super used to being stranded on the streets or whatever, and you’ve probably lived, like, a really posh life from what I can tell, and I’m willing to bet you barely even know this side of town,” Well Billy technically wasn’t wrong, but Thaddeus still couldn’t help but feel somewhat insulted at the fact that all of that was apparently rather obvious. “I mean, yeah, sure— you’re a bad guy that should probably be learning a lesson from this whole shebang, and I guess this could be a pretty bad idea, but without the Sins you’re also just an old man, and-” 

“Old?” Thaddeus scoffed, the boy acting as though he was a senior citizen, which he wasn’t— he still had… a few years to go until he got there, at least. 

“-and I don’t exactly want you to die even though you’re basically a supervillain,” Billy continued, ignoring the interruption. “Which is why I didn’t let you, ya’ know, fall from that building the last time we-” 

“You did let me fall, actually,” Thaddeus interjected before reminding, “In fact, you were the direct reason for my fall in the first place.” 

“Okay, point is I still caught you,” Billy retorted, arms crossing. “And it would be kinda’ lame if I kept you from dying from something like a sky fall and ended up just letting you die from getting pneumonia or whatever out here,” Thaddeus rolled his eyes at that, the boy nonetheless once again somewhat impatiently offering, “So do you want to come with me and have a place at least somewhat more decent than a stairwell to stay at, or do you want to take your chances out here on your own and hope you can figure out this whole drifter thing by yourself?” 

Thaddeus considered the question, eyeing over the boy that was already regretting asking this as the older weighed his options. Thaddeus emitted a sharp exhale of annoyance— unfortunately, Billy made a decent enough point. “Lead the way.” He begrudgingly muttered, Billy not knowing whether to feel relief or dread at Thaddeus’ decision; dread definitely seemed to be the most prevalent emotion, however.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After doing some research I finally managed to find a place that Billy Batson canonically ate at in the DC universe from a YouTube clip of DC’s 2010 animated film “Superman/Shazam!: The Return of Black Adam” and the restaurant was literally just called “The Diner” so I guess that’s what we’re going off of for the place that Billy works at in the fic, lads.


	7. To Revisit

“We’re here,” Billy informed, pointing to an underpass containing a substantial number of tents and makeshift beds consisting of sleeping bags and bundled blankets. “I’m guessing you probably recognize it?” He questioned, glancing at Thaddeus in a way he hoped was subtle. 

Billy was not being subtle in the least— Thaddeus had noticed the antsy boy uneasily eye him over at least a dozen times since they’d begun their tensely silent walk here. 

“I do,” Thaddeus acknowledged, not bothering to comment on how he was more than aware Billy was evidently nervous about bringing him along. “This is the first place we crossed paths.” 

Billy gave a nod of confirmation, somewhat awkwardly replying, “Yep…” The first place Thaddeus had demanded Billy’s powers before grabbing him by the throat, rocketing them both into the sky, and sucker-punching the boy back down to earth. To be fair, Billy had hit him where it counts and admittedly behaved smugly beforehand, but he personally didn’t feel as though that warranted **attempted murder**. 

“Initially, I wasn’t aware you were being serious about being no more than a mere child,” Thaddeus offhandedly informed as they approached the area many were taking shelter at. “I’d assumed you were just trying to get out of the situation at hand by making that claim.” A claim that had been rather perplexing at the time, really. 

“I mean, that’s fair since my Shaza- uh… _hero_ form or whatever doesn’t exactly have a baby face and is probably, like, I dunno’— twenty? Thirty? Or something like that, I guess.” Billy cleared his throat, noting how Thaddeus had visibly tensed when he’d nearly spoken the Champion’s name. “But you didn’t really seem to care much about me just being a kid in any case since you still tried to, you know, kill me and all after figuring that whole thing out.” 

Billy realized he probably shouldn’t have made a comment like that given the thoroughly unamused look Thaddeus gave him. “I was merely attempting to intimidate you into relinquishing your powers,” He dismissively denied. “If I’d wanted to dispose of you and your siblings, then your injuries would have been much more severe than just some minor scrapes and bruises.” Beyond the grave, his father and brother’s fellow board members were more than aware of that. 

“Well it personally felt like you were trying to murder me when you kept submerging my face into icy water every time I tried to take a breather.” Billy retorted with a familiar sense of uppity defiance that was still irksome, but not quite as unbearably annoying as Thaddeus remembered it being. 

“You were trying my patience.” Thaddeus calmly replied with a shrug. 

Billy scoffed. “Another great excuse, mister— almost killing a kid for trying your patience is _definitely_ justifiable.” 

Thaddeus gave the increasingly cheeky Billy a vaguely irked sideways glance, parting his lips to reply, yet pausing at the sight of a canine barreling towards them, eyeing the mangy mutt with a frown. 

Billy’s face lit up at the sight of the dog, Thaddeus’ brow furrowing in disapproval at how the boy knelt with outstretched arms, the older man rolling his eyes and shaking his head in annoyance as the boy beckoned the border collie forward with tongue clicks. 

“Hey there, pooch,” Billy greeted as the excited animal more or less lunged into his lap and nearly knocked him over, tail thumping heavily against the ground as Billy scratched behind its ears. “You miss me?” He chuckled, his mood becoming noticeably better as the collie licked his chin, Thaddeus’ nose scrunching in distaste in contrast to Billy’s grin. “You been good?” Billy continued in a voice verging on the brink of becoming ridiculous, the thoroughly unamused Thaddeus impatiently crossing his arms and releasing a quiet exhale of irritation, causing Billy to quirk a brow and look at him. “Do you not like dogs?” 

Thaddeus’ shoulders quirked upwards, frankly having little interest in such trivial manners. “My father didn’t allow us to have pets growing up.” 

“So?” Billy mumbled, not seeing what that had to do with anything, his hands briefly pausing before quickly resuming their petting as the border collie whimpered and nudged him, clearly wanting the boy’s attention much more than Thaddeus cared to. “Doesn’t mean _you_ can’t like them.” 

Thaddeus looked at the panting dog in disdain, the corners of his lips tugging downwards as drool gathered on its tongue. “I’m not particularly fond of flea infestations.” 

“Flea infestations? Ouch— that’s harsh… Have you always been this grumpy? Like, were you a grouch as a kid, too?” Billy snickered, giving Thaddeus a smirk while scratching under the dog’s chin, the boy’s attitude unfortunately becoming much more familiarly brazen and much less stiffly standoffish. 

Thaddeus chose not to react to that comment, fairly certain that would just encourage the boy’s attempts at banter. “Try not to contact the plague from that thing.” He dryly advised, pointedly taking an avoidant step to the side as the canine tilted its head at him. 

“I mean, I personally assumed you’d **want** me to get the plague, all things considered,” Billy chided as the collie giddily laid down, rubbing the canine’s stomach. “But it’s real nice of you to-” 

“I’ll introduce myself.” Thaddeus finally stated while walking around the insufferable boy and the grimy animal, not about to let his time be wasted any more than it already had. 

“All right all right, fine,” Billy huffed, scurrying up and jogging after Thaddeus, the border collie rolling into a standing stance and trotting after them. “I’m coming— yeesh…” He crossed his arms. “It’s not like we need to rush.” 

“We don’t need to stand around and meander all day, either.” Thaddeus stiffly retorted. 

“ _Meander_?” Billy repeated, his overly amused voice making Thaddeus anything but amused. Billy seemed to take Thaddeus’ lack of a reply as a challenge, somewhat cockily pushing his luck as he paused before oh so boldly adding, “You sound like my sixth grade English teacher.”

“You behave like a sixth-grader.” Thaddeus coldly muttered without missing a beat. 

“Yeah, well you act like you never actually experienced sixth grade— or any part of childhood, really.” Billy retorted with an eye roll. 

“And you act as though you don’t plan on giving up childish mannerisms anytime soon.” Thaddeus replied somewhat snappily; this boy was a mere three years away from becoming eighteen, and he needed to grow up. 

“Okay, you know what?” Billy began, obviously becoming miffed by the banter and not quite as entertained by it anymore. “At least I-” 

“Billy?” A gruff voice spoke up, Thaddeus and the boy in question coming to a halt. “You back already, kiddo?” A burly dark-skinned man with a paunch approached the pair, adjusting the small and thin glasses on his nose, his green eyes briefly glancing towards Thaddeus. “Who’s your friend?” The bearded stranger with dreadlocks inquired, offering a friendly grin. 

A smile tugged at Billy’s lips, giving the man a handshake, Thaddeus noting the two both wore similar fingerless gloves as Billy greeted, “Hey Tawny, this is Mr.-” Billy faltered, realizing he probably shouldn’t say Thaddeus’ real name, glancing up at Thaddeus hesitantly. 

“Jon.” Thaddeus offered without missing a beat. 

“Jon,” Billy repeated with a nod and somewhat forced smile verging on anxious. “This is Mr. Jon.” 

Tawny tilted his head at that, momentarily glancing between the two before wasting no time to warmly extend a hand. “Nice to meet you, Jon— any friend of Billy’s a friend of mine.” 

Thaddeus looked Tawny over, noting the grime on the man’s yellow jacket, the stains on his black sweater, and the mud on his gray jeans. Thaddeus glanced at Billy, the boy giving him a look, causing Thaddeus to take the offered hand somewhat reluctantly. “Nice to meet you.” He politely muttered without making much of an attempt at sounding genuine, barely bothering to give a shake before drawing back, brushing his palm against his slacks. Tawny didn’t seem to notice the gesture, but it earned a subtle elbow from the annoyed Billy, which prompted a sideways glare from Thaddeus. 

“So how do you two know each other anyhow?” Tawny asked, reaching down to pat the border collie’s head as it took a seat beside him, the dog’s back foot raising to scratch beneath its chin. 

“Oh,” Billy said, glancing back up at Thaddeus again. “Well…” Thaddeus looked at him, it becoming evident that neither of them had adequately planned for this. “We just… you know…” Billy chuckled uncomfortably, turning his attention back towards Tawny. “We, uh, met about a year ago,” He crossed his arms, attempting to behave nonchalantly. “And we met at…” He trailed off and glanced at the incredibly silent Thaddeus again, clearly searching for a little help. “Well, we met at… this place… here in Philly… that was-” 

“We met at the mall just a few blocks from here,” Thaddeus finally spoke up, Billy just nodding at that. “He accidentally broke a display window at a store I used to work with, and I helped him clean it up,” Thaddeus lied with ease, Billy casting his gaze downwards so his expression wouldn’t give anything away, just nodding again. “He was a frequent customer and seemed like a nice enough young lad that I didn’t particularly mind making small talk with,” He calmly continued, Billy having to purse his lips to hold himself back from making a joke about Thaddeus’ pompous vocabulary, just nodding again as though to confirm Thaddeus’ fib. “And when he found out I’d fallen on hard times, he was kind enough to offer to bring me here for a place to stay while I try to get myself back up on my feet.” 

Unfortunately for Thaddeus, he couldn’t very well make his disdain for Billy known considering that would potentially prompt suspicion.

“Sorry to hear you’ve fallen on hard times,” Tawny solemnly acknowledged, Thaddeus giving a nod of thanks. “We definitely know how rough that can be,” Tawny sighed, gesturing towards the exhausted people scattered around the dreary underpass, their expressions more than glum, Thaddeus frowning. “This place is better than nothing, though,” He assured with a faintly encouraging smile. “We’ve got a pretty decent community going on here that has each other’s backs, and you’re more than welcome to stick around as long as you need.” 

“I appreciate it.” Thaddeus said in a slightly flat tone not quite conveying much sincerity, wondering if Tawny was considered the one in charge around here. 

Tawny seemed to realize Thaddeus wasn’t particularly the talking type, turning his attention to Billy. “You still with that cranky ol’ uncle of yours?” Billy nodded, Tawny’s lips tugging downwards. “Yeah, I figured as much— doubt you’d be running away down here if you were back with that Vasquez family.” 

Billy’s expression fell at the mention of his previous foster home, rubbing his upper arm and averting his gaze. “Yeah, go figure, right? I finally find a home I don’t wanna’ run away from, and then I just get hauled into another one anyways.” He joked with a chuckle that didn’t sound very much like a laugh, shoulders shrugging in a way that somehow didn’t seem all that dismissive. 

Tawny didn’t seem to find the alleged jest very funny, either. “I’ll try to let you know in advance if I catch him snooping around here for ya’.” 

“Thanks, Tawny.” Billy said with a smile that was noticeably less energetic. “So uh, do you guys have any cans in stock or anything like that by any chance?” 

Tawny grinned at the change of subject. “Sure do! Everyone pitched in over Thanksgiving to stock up— the rations are right over there.” He informed, pointing towards ten drooping cardboard boxes resting atop a foldable plastic table that looked like it was being kept together by duct tape, the canopy above it barely managing to provide much shelter given the worn tears in it. “I’m pretty sure I’ve got a few extra sleeping bags somewhere, too; go on and get yourselves something to eat while I try to find ‘em.” 

“Awesome— thanks, Tawny; you’re the best.” Billy said in relief, more than appreciative of catching a break. 

“I sure am.” Tawny cheekily mused with a grin while walking off, the border collie following. 

Billy began walking over towards the awaiting canopy, gesturing for Thaddeus to follow. 

“You two seem close.” Thaddeus observed aloud as they approached the cardboard boxes. 

“He took me under his wing after my first runaway.” Billy informed with a shrug, purposefully keeping his statement vague, not wanting Thaddeus to be able to use anyone here to his advantage with ease. 

Thaddeus noticed three of the boxes were empty, the remaining ones containing various canned goods. “Your previous foster family wasn’t your first, were they?” 

“Nope,” Billy confirmed while rummaging through the cans, Thaddeus blindly reaching into the box nearest to him. “I had twenty-something before them.” 

Thaddeus’ hand paused on a random can, raising a brow at Billy. “ _Twenty-something_?” 

“Yep,” Billy plucked up a red, green, and yellow can. “They all got pretty fed up with me pretty quickly for not being super enthusiastic about being thrown in a random home, ditching school all the time, and running away to do my own thing and stuff.” He grabbed a can sitting off to the side. “Victor and Rosa were the first to actually deal with the kinda’ crap I pulled instead of just calling quits.” 

“How patient of them.” Thaddeus remarked, the snideness in his tone subtle yet present, taking out the first can he came in contact with and examining the label: Canned Tamales. Not exactly extravagant, but he reckoned it was better than nothing. 

“They were patient,” Billy agreed nonetheless.“ _Really_ patient.” He added for good measure, dropping the sliver of the can’s top in a trash bag tied to the wobbly table’s uneven leg and handing the can opener to Thaddeus. “What did you get?” He asked intrigued, stealing a glance at the can that Thaddeus was preparing to open. “Ew gross— don’t eat that,” Billy objected in disgust, Thaddeus arching a brow at him and pausing. “Those things need some _serious_ doctoring to taste like real tamales.” He informed while sifting through another box. “Here— this is basically the best one.” He stated, holding out a can of Chef Boyardee. 

Thaddeus hesitantly put down the tamales, skeptically taking the can from Billy’s grasp; it matched the can in Billy’s own hand, so the boy wasn’t trying to trick him. “Pasta?” Thaddeus inquired, head tilting as he examined the picture on the front. 

Billy just stared at Thaddeus for a moment. “Have you never had Chef Boyardee?” Thaddeus shook his head while reading the directions displayed on the can. “How have you not had-” 

“It mentions using a microwave.” Thaddeus commented, his brow furrowing as he turned his attention towards the ingredients. 

“I mean, sure, if you _have_ a microwave then it definitely tastes better warmed up, but it’s precooked so it’s fine to just, you know, dig in.” Billy grabbed a spork from a dwindling bag of plastic utensils. “Make sure you save your spork.” 

Thaddeus’ nose scrunched in distaste as he began to open the can. “You use plastic cutlery for more than one use?” 

“Unless _you_ wanna’ go buy a new bag for everyone else, then yeah— we do.” Billy answered through a mouthful of pasta, earning a look of disdain from Thaddeus. “What?” He scoffed at the judgemental expression, still chewing as he spoke. 

Thaddeus shook his head at the lack of basic etiquette, dropping the top piece of the can into the nearby trash bag. “Nothing.” He grabbed a spork from the bag as Billy began walking away, accompanying the boy gesturing for him to follow while examining the red gunk that Thaddeus assumed was supposed to be sauce, the corners of his lips tugging downwards. 

“You only get two rations a day— one for breakfast and one for dinner,” Billy informed, Thaddeus only somewhat paying attention as he attempted to find an expiration date on the can. “Unless you’re a kid or elder; anyone under ten or over seventy is allowed to get three rations, and the same goes for anyone with stuff like medical problems or whatever,” Billy continued, eating as he walked and talked. “Sometimes we get low on cans though, so then you’re only supposed to take one when it gets down to, like, one box… there’s been a few times we’ve run out, but usually everyone’s pretty good about chipping in and keeping a steady supply.” Billy came to a stop in front of a faded yellow tent. “Oh, and you’re supposed to skip a ration if someone’s nice enough to buy you a meal, but most people just give spare change, so you probably won’t have to skip any.” 

“Who’s in charge of keeping track of the rations?” Thaddeus inquired as Billy tugged on a ribbon hanging from a bundle of tied together bells dangling from the top of the tent. 

“No one,” Billy admitted, giving a shrug. “It’s pretty much just an honor-system thing.” He noticed Thaddeus still hadn’t tried the Chef Boyardee, Billy almost done with his. “Eat it while you can— this stuff usually gets nabbed the fastest.” 

Thaddeus eyed the can; this was the best thing to eat here? He found that immensely unfortunate. “Is this your tent?” He inquired, allegedly stalling to prolong having to consume the questionable cuisine posing as pasta. 

“Nope, it belongs to a kid named Sunny— he’s a friend of Darla’s, so I usually try to check up on him whenever I come by.” Billy explained, waiting a moment longer before sighing, “Guess no one’s home.” 

Thaddeus would have to keep in mind that this _Sunny_ boy could be another potential weak point for the meddlesome Shazam miscreants. Billy was obviously fond of Tawny and the mangy dog, too. In fact, Thaddeus would be more than willing to bet that Billy had a soft spot for everyone finding refuge in this underpass. 

Billy’s gullible attempt at helping Thaddeus out of some misplaced sense of heroic mercy was proving to be quite advantageous for the scientist. 

“I wasn’t aware you were planning on introducing me to everyone here.” Thaddeus casually commented, purposefully goading despite downplaying malice that would generally be prominent. 

Billy immediately noted the somewhat unfamiliar change in voice, the calmness not entirely unusual, although the tone verging on cordial and lacking any trace of snideness was certainly new— Billy could tell when something was off… even if he couldn’t quite tell what that something was. “I’m not,” Billy hesitantly mumbled, Thaddeus almost seeming amused by the uncertain stare he was receiving. “I’m just showing you around some.” Billy crossed his arms, the older noting the vaguely defensive stance. 

Thaddeus nodded uncannily patiently, expression worrisomely unreadable. “And is there anywhere else you plan on showing me?” _Anyone else you plan on introducing me to that could be used against you._

Billy couldn’t help but to feel as though he was somehow walking into a trap— he preferred Thaddeus’ dry personality to… whatever this was. “Is there anything you have in mind or something?” Billy interrogated on guard, Thaddeus merely shrugging. “I mean, there’s a gym with showers around the block, and a public bathroom down the street, plus a nearby library with an A.C. and a heater for when the weather conditions get super bad,” Billy eyed Thaddeus over, as though to attempt reading him. “If that’s the kinda’ stuff you want to know about or whatever.” Billy rubbed the back of his neck, giving a shrug. “That’s really about it, though. I guess I could show you around this side of town when I get back from work at the diner so you don’t get lost,” A flicker of irritation crossed Thaddeus’ features at the notion of not being able to find his way around, Billy pausing before adding, “No offense, but I’m guessing you don’t really know this part of Philly, right?” 

“I’m somewhat unfamiliar with it.” Thaddeus dismissively admitted, although it was certainly more than just _somewhat_ — not that he’d ever actually admit to that, of course. 

Billy gave a nod, expecting as much. “It’s pretty basic stuff once you get used to it, but I guess it can be kinda’ intimidating or whatever at first since it can be easy to get lost with all the streets and alleys.” Billy rubbed the back of his neck, gaze averting; casual conversations with the dude that was supposed to be your arch-nemesis could be a little… awkward? Uncomfortable? Questionable? Billy was reasonably sure that heroes and villains didn’t typically make small talk. 

In fact, Billy even fathoming the idea of bringing Thaddeus here in the first place was probably a pretty questionable judgment call— Billy had street smarts and all that, but he could still be a recklessly impulsive fifteen-year-old; it was hard enough trying to do the right thing when it came to normal teenage stuff like attempting to get a C- average so your parents wouldn’t chew you out after getting a total downer phone call from the school, but having to help out a menacingly grumpy guy that had sent his demon buddies after you and your loved ones? That was something else entirely. 

“I’m assuming you’re speaking from experience.” Thaddeus spoke up, snapping Billy out of his contemplating. 

Billy blinked, returning his gaze towards Thaddeus and narrowing his eyes upon realizing the older was referring to his comment about getting easily lost; Thaddeus’ smugness was really making Billy regret offering to make sure the ol’ man didn’t meet an unfortunate end by attempting to fend for himself on the streets for the first time. To be fair, Billy could be smug, too, but he was usually just trying to be more cheeky than mean about it. 

“Okay, I was like, four years old when I first came here and got lost,” Billy informed somewhat defensively, not appreciating the look Thaddeus gave him that resembled what was allegedly a trace of amusement. “And it’s definitely fine by me if you wanna’ find your way around on your own.” He added miffed, because he didn’t **have** to show Thaddeus around if he didn’t want to. He didn’t **have** to help Thaddeus when he had his own personal problems. He didn’t **have** to be doing any of this for the person that had nearly taken away everything from him when he’d finally gotten the one thing he’d been searching for since he’d been three years old. 

It was ironic, really, that the guy that had wielded the power of the ever so vicious Seven Sins failed in taking Billy’s family away from him, and yet Uncle Eb had managed to snatch Billy away from the one place he could truly call home despite being no more than a normal ol’ grouch. 

“Isn’t four years old a little young to be running away?” Thaddeus evenly chided, doubting the statement. 

“Isn’t waiting until your senior years a little old to have your villain origin story?” Billy haughtily retorted, because he had trouble talking about past foster families and runaway stories with Freddy and the rest of the Vasquez household, so that territory was _way_ too personal for foe get-to-knows. 

Thaddeus’ faint amusement hardened, his expression going stone-cold, definitely not appreciating what seemed to be becoming a favorite joke of the boy’s. “I didn’t go through decades of grueling hard work and taxing exhaustion just to be senselessly spoken down to by some carefree hooligan, **boy**.” 

“Well then don’t dish out a bunch of jerkish sarcasm if you don’t want it thrown back at you, **old man**.” Billy scoffed, Thaddeus’ jaw clenching. “I’m trying to be nice here, and you’re just being a complete and utter-” 

“I got you two some sleeping bags set up against the underpass wall,” Tawny informed, Billy tensing and Thaddeus straightening up. “Couldn’t get you a spot in a tent or under a canopy— it’s been getting pretty crowded around here.” He offered a grin, Billy trying to act casual despite avoiding Tawny’s gaze as Thaddeus barely bothered to mask his annoyance. “Even though you’re not actually under the underpass, there’s a ledge that should give you at least some cover in case it rains or snows,” Tawny’s expression fell, the older man crossing his arms with a weary exhale. “It’s not much, but it’s the best I can do for the time being.” 

“It sounds great, Tawny.” Billy assured in relief, just grateful they had more than the ground to sleep on. 

Thaddeus quirked a brow, giving Billy a quizzical stare— how on earth did any of that sound _great_ whatsoever? 

Tawny’s expression softened. “It’s nice to have you back, kid— this place definitely hasn’t been the same without you.” He frowned, pausing before adding, “It was good knowing you had found a decent family and home, though; as much as I always hate to see you leave, I sure do want you to do good in making your way back to where you belong.” 

“Yeah,” Billy agreed, looking even wearier than Tawny, the boy suddenly lacking in his usual confidence. “Me too.” Billy cleared his throat, rubbing his upper arm. “I, uh, actually have to get going— my shift at the diner starts in a bit,” Billy worriedly glanced at Thaddeus before returning his gaze to Tawny. “Do you mind… um… keeping an eye on him?” He gestured towards Thaddeus, the scientist narrowing his eyes and Tawny’s head tilting. “Just to make sure he doesn’t get lost and stuff.” Billy added for good measure. 

If Tawny sensed something wasn’t quite right, he didn’t show it. “Sure will!” 

“Unless you wanna’ come check out the diner with me.” Billy added after a moment of hesitation upon realizing it could very possibly be better to have Thaddeus come along with him so he could keep an eye on the villain, the boy’s offer being less of a request and more of a subtle warning to come along. 

Thaddeus didn’t heed the warning. “I don’t mind staying behind— you should go ahead and get to work.” 

Tawny didn’t seem to catch the snideness, but the aggravated Billy certainly did. “I really wouldn’t mind taking you.” He persisted, not wanting Thaddeus to put anyone in danger while he wasn’t around to _Shazam_ at a moment’s notice. 

Thaddeus was more than aware that Billy wanted him to tag along out of suspicion, and frankly Thaddeus couldn’t blame the boy who was reasonably on edge— although Thaddeus could be obstinate. “I’d prefer staying here, actually,” Thaddeus nonchalantly replied, earning a look from the boy. “It’s been a long night, and I reckon it would do good to get some rest.” He formed an expression of mock sympathy. “It really is too bad you have to get going to that job of yours; you certainly look like you could use some sleep, too.” 

Billy was pretty sure that last part was supposed to be an insult, not appreciating the sarcasm. “You could sleep in the dining booth.” 

“I’d rather not.” Thaddeus stiffly stated without missing a beat. 

Thaddeus’ uncooperative B.S. was really starting to aggravate Billy— could the guy at least _try_ to act a little grateful about Billy helping him out when this dude was probably one of the last people in Philly that deserved help in any shape or form? 

Billy was becoming impatient, not wanting to be late for work. “Well maybe you should-” 

“Billy,” Tawny chuckled somewhat perplexed, brow raising as he bemusedly crossed his arms with an intrigued smile. “I’m sure he can manage to fend for himself for a few hours, and he’s in good hands here if there’s anything he does end up needing.” 

Billy wasn’t being protective about Thaddeus— he was being protective about Tawny and the others here… but he couldn’t very well tell Tawny that without revealing the criminal he’d willingly brought along with him. Maybe Billy should reconsider what was supposed to be a well-intended choice, the possible outcomes of that very choice clearly becoming potentially catastrophic. Sure, Thaddeus didn’t have the Eye of Sin at his disposal anymore, but Billy was getting the feeling that Thaddeus didn’t need the seven Sins to be an effective bad guy. Billy could manage Thaddeus just fine on his own, but a good amount of the people here were already worn thin enough, and they didn’t need any more trouble putting them at risk. 

Billy could always backtrack and reveal who Thaddeus actually was, but that could result in Thaddeus retorting by doing something sneaky like mentioning how Billy can’t say the word Shazam without consequence, and Billy wouldn’t be able to argue that without revealing his own identity. 

This was beginning to seem like a very, **very** bad idea that Billy probably should have put **a lot** more consideration into. Billy had extended a hand because it had seemed like the right heroic thing to do, but he’d extended that hand towards a villain that hated him to the core. Maybe Billy should have just allowed Thaddeus to fend for himself, regardless of whether or not he knew how to stay in good health in a situation like this. Sure, Billy didn’t want anyone to suffer— not even the man that had tried to cause a whole lot of suffering amongst him and his siblings. However, Billy also didn’t want the people that had looked out for him around here to suffer because of a choice he’d made. 

Billy had just been trying to take on a little responsibility as a bonafide superhero since that’s apparently something heroes are supposed to do, but this responsibility was possibly a little too much for a fourteen-year-old to properly handle. Plus, Thaddeus didn’t seem to even vaguely appreciate the fact that Billy was bothering to lend him a hand when Billy had every reason not to after the ordeal Thaddeus had put him through less than a year ago. Overall, Billy was feeling more regret than satisfaction about trying to take the high road for once. 

“I’ll be back in four hours.” Billy sighed in defeat, giving Thaddeus a look that he hoped conveyed something along the lines of: _Try anything and so help me I’ll lightning-zap you to another realm._

“Have fun.” Thaddeus farewelled dryly, Billy resisting the urge to make a face at Thaddeus while mockingly repeating the statement, instead just walking off and emitting a quiet sigh of annoyance under his breath. 

“C’mon,” Tawny beckoned, Thaddeus directing his attention towards the grinning man. “I’ll give you the rest of the grand tour.” He jested with a laugh. 

Thaddeus resisted the urge to roll his eyes, reluctantly following, the border collie trotting after them. “Does Billy have any friends here?” He inquired, deciding he might as well try to get some more entail that could prove to be of use. “I hope the poor boy doesn’t get too lonely around these parts.” 

“A few acquaintances here and there,” Tawny confirmed as Thaddeus followed. “He gets along with just about everyone pretty well, but he definitely tends to keep to himself.” 

“He seems rather fond of you.” Thaddeus commented while reluctantly taking a bite of alleged pasta from the can labeled Chef Boyardee. 

“I took him in the first time he ran away,” Tawny explained with a reminiscent smile. “Poor kiddo was only about three or four when I found him hiding out in the subway and brought him here to get some food.” 

So Billy really had been four years old when he’d first ran away. Interesting. 

Thaddeus decided the canned pasta wasn’t absolutely awful, but the decent enough meal would clearly taste better warm— at least it was better than nothing. “You two have known each other even longer than he’s known his foster family, then?” 

“Sure have.” Tawny confirmed, that bit of entail having quite a bit of potential. “You know, I almost feel like I know you somehow, too,” He gave Thaddeus a sideways glance. “We haven’t met before by any chance, have we? Something about you just seems real familiar…” 

Thaddeus didn’t falter. “Can’t say that we have.” 

Tawny eyed him over, Thaddeus pointedly keeping his gaze directed forward, refusing to meet the other’s stare as they continued walking, Thaddeus ever so slightly tightening his grip around the can and- 

“Guess you just have one of those faces,” Tawny said with a shrug, the tense Thaddeus visibly relaxing as Tawny’s brooding stare broke away from him. “You said your name’s Jon, right?” 

“Yes,” Thaddeus answered as the border collie whimpered, turning to look at the canine pleadingly staring up at him, evidently begging for scraps. “I did.” He gave the dog a look of distaste before redirecting his gaze forward, taking another bite of the pasta, doing his best to ignore the existence of the mangy animal. 

_Find us._ It was a familiar echo of memory that hadn’t quite been **just** a memory for awhile now, the border collie emitting a whine that was suddenly a lot more upset than pleading. Thaddeus gave the dog a narrow eyed look while Tawny raised a brow at the animal’s strange behavior, wondering what had gotten into the typically friendly pet that was causing such an unusual fuss seemingly out of nowhere… 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don’t worry, I’ve got an explanation laid out for this chapter’s not so subtle easter egg... 
> 
> ;)


	8. Steps to Mundane Acquainting

Thaddeus was admittedly somewhat lost. He’d gone off on his own in attempts to find the restroom Billy had referred to with the intention of using the sink and soap dispenser to wash the sleeping bag that was in a visibly questionable state; he doubted Tawny bothered sanitizing the hand-me-downs that were likely ridden with filth. He’d rather use a washing machine and dryer with proper cleaning supplies, or preferably just have a brand new sleeping bag altogether. Unfortunately, that didn’t seem to be a likely option for the time being given his less than savory current circumstances. 

Billy had said the washroom was just down the street, and so Thaddeus had gone down the street. He had gone quite a ways down the street, at that. He’d made an educated guess and crossed his away over towards a common area that looked like it could potentially be the place Billy had been referring to. Then Thaddeus had gone a little farther and made a turn. Thaddeus had even gone around the block just to make sure he wasn’t missing something. 

Eventually, Thaddeus accepted the fact that he’d gone the wrong way, doubting his astray wandering would do much other than make him more irksomely lost. Naturally, Thaddeus backtracked, intending to try his luck at going down another street along the underpass. 

Thaddeus couldn’t seem to locate the underpass, however, and that could certainly prove to be a problem. 

The more Thaddeus tried to retrace his steps, the more lost he became, fairly certain he’d ultimately only gotten farther away from the area he’d left off from. The less than favorable sleeping bag that Thaddeus was lugging around just made his venturing even more frustrating, the poor excuse for a sleeping arrangement becoming an inconvenience to carry as it began unbundling. With Thaddeus’ luck as of late, it would probably start falling apart at any given moment. He considered tossing it, however, he reckoned the tattered sleeping bag was better than having nothing other than a cold hard ground. Then again, the ground could be a more preferable option considering it probably wouldn’t be quite as ridden with germs. 

Technically, Thaddeus didn’t **have** to go back to the underpass— he could go off on his own and look out for himself if he wanted to. It wasn’t as though he actually **needed** Billy’s help. Thaddeus was more than aware of how to look out for himself considering his family had made him well versed in such skills. True, Thaddeus wasn’t quite familiar with this particular situation regarding getting around on the streets, but he was more than used to having to adapt to unsavory circumstances. Thaddeus could most definitely manage himself without the egocentric boy’s suspiciously generous assistance. 

However, Thaddeus would admittedly prefer having a few resources here and there while he tried to get back up on his feet, and Billy was the one that had led him to those very resources. The underpass was better than nothing, and it would be silly to walk away from **something** to **nothing** , because despite the underpass consisting of the bare minimum, it was still better than not having anything. If Thaddeus didn’t have to do things the hard way, then he’d be more than glad to take a chance at a break. Nonetheless, Thaddeus was still not exactly catching a break considering he was annoyingly lost. 

_Find us_. How was Thaddeus supposed to find the Sins when he couldn’t even find the initial street he’d gone down just a few minutes ago? 

To be fair, Thaddeus was usually relatively accurate with directions, but he’d quite frankly had a lot on his mind, and that error allowed for easy distractions. Thaddeus had been making a lot of errors lately, it seemed. Perhaps this was a sign he should just walk away before Billy changed his mind and decided to turn him in instead of trying to lend a helping hand and- 

Lightning struck in the distance, Thaddeus coming to a halt and visibly tensing at the thundering sound of an electric bolt crackling down from the sky and striking the earth with an echoing _boom_ that sounded all too familiar.

Thaddeus quizzically glanced over his shoulder, turning his attention towards where the lightning had blazed, pausing before turning around somewhat wearily. Thaddeus noticed a few other bystanders farther down the street had stopped as well, his brow quirking at how some of them began pointing, not quite catching whatever it was that they were gesturing towards and- 

And a flash of red, gold, and white whizzed down the street, reaching several feet above the asphalt. 

The streak of zooming colors flew to a halt for a brief moment, Thaddeus vaguely tensing as the blur of red swept directly towards him before coming to a halt, _Shazam_ hovering several feet above him— the boy parading as a fully grown hero tilting his head at the slightly wary stare Thaddeus was giving him. Shazam glanced the sleeping bag slung over Thaddeus’ shoulder, brow raising inquisitively. When Thaddeus just gave Shazam a cold hard look bordering on a glare, a smirk tugged at the hero’s lips, the child with the uncanny disguise of conceptualized adulthood realizing that Thaddeus had seemingly gotten himself lost. 

Thaddeus scanned his surroundings with a frown, noticing the stares being directed their way, the citizens of Philly gazing up at Shazam with excited wide eyes, ecstatic whispers, and hardly subtle pointing. Shazam blinked, registering the fact that he was drawing a little too much attention towards Thaddeus; most eyes were on the Wizard’s Champion, but if he hung around Thaddeus too long then prying eyes could potentially take notice of the familiar fugitive, too— particularly if Billy was obviously engaging with him. 

So, Shazam cleared his throat and _whooshed_ away from Thaddeus, the villain relaxing ever so slightly as he released an exhale of irritation at the boy’s lack of subtly. Unsurprisingly, all eyes immediately broke away from where Thaddeus was standing, their gazes following the Champion that had flown over to the sidewalk across the street— as though Thaddeus wasn’t even there. His lips thinned in disdain as the bystanders began to crowd around Shazam, treating the grinning hero as though he was anything other than a smug, arrogant, childish coward that had chosen to repetitively bailout from battles. 

Instead of basking in the limelight, however, Shazam admittedly did something Thaddeus hadn’t quite expected; the hero glanced towards the substantially annoyed criminal, Shazam checking to make sure all attention was on him to ensure the wanted criminal went unnoticed. Then, Shazam said, “Sorry guys— I’d really like to, you know, stay and chat or whatever, but I should probably keep patrolling and stuff, so…” The starstruck crowd voiced words of protest, Shazam giving a somewhat exasperated smile that seemed more forced than anything. “Sorry guys, maybe another time… Stay safe now!” He abruptly skyrocketed into the sky before any more could be said on the matter, the gathering people murmuring words of disappointment to one another. 

Thaddeus rolled his eyes at the ridiculous display of people obsessing over a superhero as though a flying hero with super strength was somehow new and noteworthy. He considered going on his way, yet paused as a bolt of lightning struck behind a nearby building, Thaddeus pausing in consideration before impatiently crossing his arms. Sure enough, Billy came walking out of a nearby alleyway only a few seconds later, the boy once again looking like himself rather than an adult-sized crusader. 

“I’m guessing you got lost?” Billy greeted, amusement prevalent in his tone and expression. 

“No.” Thaddeus stiffly denied, not the least bit entertained by the insufferable boy’s chiding. 

“Right— you’re just on the run or whatever, then?” Billy mused clearly unconvinced, the right corner of his lips tugging upwards. 

“Is that why you were recklessly flitting around?” Thaddeus dryly replied. “Concerned I might be attempting an escape to Gotham already?” 

“Flitting?” Billy repeated, rolling his eyes at the pretentious wording, not seeing why Thaddeus couldn’t just say _flying_ like a normal person, pointedly informing, “I was **flying** around to make sure you hadn’t wandered off somewhere to cause a bunch of trouble.” 

“I’m not exactly in any state to be causing any trouble.” Thaddeus resentfully reminded, still more or less powerless thanks to the boy’s antics that had occurred almost a year ago. 

“So you **are** lost then.” Billy stated more than questioned, the brazen behavior quickly becoming as irksome as ever. 

“Hardly.” Thaddeus annoyedly denied, not seeing why this child had to be so… **childish**. 

“I mean, you’re going like, the opposite way of the underpass,” Billy pointed out. “So-” 

“I was on my way to clean this.” Thaddeus interjected, gesturing towards the sleeping bag slumped over his shoulder in disdain. 

“You’re still going the wrong way.” Billy commented with a shrug. 

“I was considering not returning to the underpass.” Thaddeus bluntly retorted, and it wasn’t quite a lie— technically, he had considered going off on his own before determining that potentially wouldn’t result in the best outcomes given the current circumstances that were rather limiting. 

Billy arched a brow, arms crossing and head tilting. “So you **are** going off on your own then?” 

Thaddeus’ jaw clenched. “Possibly. Either way, it’s frankly of no concern to you.” 

“It actually kinda’ is considering anything you do is pretty much on me since **I** let you off the hook instead of throwing you back in jail.” Billy countered, Thaddeus no longer being the only irritated one. 

Thaddeus eyed the boy with a narrowed gaze. “Reconsidering that choice, are you?” 

“Honestly? Yeah— you’ve already made me reconsider it a few times, and it hasn’t even been a day.” Billy haughtily confirmed, Thaddeus straightening up somewhat tensely and crossing his arms somewhat defensively, Billy frowning at that. “I’m not going to call the cops on you or whatever unless you pull something shady, though,” Billy hesitantly added, rubbing the side of his neck and averting his gaze. “But you could seriously at least try to be just a little bit nicer since I’m trying to help you out here.” 

“I didn’t ask for help,” Thaddeus said, still not quite trusting no ulterior motives were involved all things considered— this boy had every reason to turn him in without mercy, and Thaddeus had enough experience to know that _help_ was **never** free. “You **chose** to offer assistance so you wouldn’t have to deal with a guilty conscience for leaving me to fend for myself.” It wasn’t Thaddeus’ fault that the boy had a moral compass befitting to the Wizard’s standards. 

It had been Billy’s choice not to send Thaddeus back to a more than inhumane jail out of a sense of ethical obligation, and Thaddeus would not take responsibility for this child’s questionable lack of judgment regarding getting a bit too chummy with his enemies. Thaddeus hadn't **asked** for the pesky boy to take responsibility for him, and it wasn’t as though he wanted this bothersome child following his every move like a lost duckling. Frankly, Thaddeus just wanted to be left alone to his own accord, finding most of Billy’s antics highly unnecessary. 

It wasn’t Thaddeus’ fault that Billy hadn’t grown up by now and realized the world was not a grateful nor giving place— it was a place that took and took and took without any regard to returning a single ounce of whatever it swallowed up without mercy. 

“Yeah, well **you chose** to target me, my family, and a bunch of other innocent people, so don’t act like it’s my fault that you’re in a bad situation with the law,” Billy snapped, Thaddeus quirking a brow at the boy’s raised tone. “I’m not the one you should be blaming for taking your _power_ away when I wouldn’t have had a reason to go after you if you hadn’t started attacking this city, and you know I didn’t want to fight at first— you forced me to fight back after I’d tried to run, and that was **your** **choice**.” 

The most frustrating thing about Billy’s rebuttal was that he had a point— all in all, Thaddeus had essentially cornered the boy in his attempts to gain absolute power, but as far as Thaddeus was concerned Billy had still **chosen** to fight rather than surrender regardless. Thaddeus admittedly hadn’t particularly left Billy with much of a choice, but he’d ultimately chosen to further their clash. 

The Sins had told Thaddeus that the Wizard’s Champion could match his power— of course he’d gone after a potential threat like that which he had no reason to trust whatsoever. 

“I’d hardly call that trick of yours that you pulled up on the rooftop a _fight_ ,” Thaddeus icily replied. “Given how you had to win through an act of mischief.” 

“Says the guy who had his seven cronies dishing out most of the punches.” Billy said back without missing a beat. 

“You were having quite a bit of trouble when it was just one-on-one as well.” Thaddeus reminded somewhat bitterly. 

“Yeah, well you weren’t exactly dodging all of my swings, either.” Billy replied, matching Thaddeus’ glare. 

Thaddeus didn’t have time for this pointlessly incessant arguing, having no desire to exchange any matter of words whatsoever with this insignificant boy that was so childishly stubborn. Deciding to not bother wasting his time with another word, he merely shook his head in contempt and dismissively walked around the boy, seeing no reason to entertain Billy’s tendencies to pester. 

“You’re still going the wrong way.” Billy called out, causing Thaddeus to come to a halt. The older man gritted his teeth, wearily taking in an exasperated inhale before exhaling sharply, coldly glancing over his shoulder at the cross armed boy. “The laundromat is that way.” Billy informed, vaguely gesturing across the street. 

“Outstanding directions.” Thaddeus commented in dry sarcasm. 

Billy gave him a look. “I could just let you find your way on your own, you know.” 

Thaddeus opted for more sarcasm. “What a heroic threat.” 

Billy was just trying to be a good person, and Thaddeus was making that significantly more difficult than it needed to be. “Come on.” The relenting boy sighed, reluctantly gesturing for Thaddeus to follow, deciding to take the high road and not engage with Thaddeus’ goading more than needed. 

Billy was becoming real tired of being the only one taking the high road here, though. 

The walk to the laundromat was spent in silence, Billy crossing his arms and pursing his lips while avoiding looking at Thaddeus entirely, Thaddeus keeping an inclined chin and keeping as far over as he could to his side of the sidewalk. 

That brief period of pleasant silence was begrudgingly broken when Thaddeus pointedly stated, “I don’t have change,” as Billy opened the door leading to the laundromat entrance. “I intended to use the nearby lavatory’s sink and soap dispenser.” 

“It’s fine,” Billy dismissed with a shrug, still somewhat testy yet not quite as vocally upset. “I can pay.” Thaddeus raised a brow at that, Billy glancing at him and somewhat impatiently mumbling, “Do you wanna’ get it washed or not?” 

Thaddeus eyed over the boy quizzically before walking inside, Billy following. “Generous of you.” He commented, skepticism clear. 

“I’ve been trying to be nice.” Billy reminded in what sounded like a grumble, not seeing why Thaddeus couldn’t at least attempt returning the favor by behaving like a somewhat decent human being instead of an ungrateful jerk. 

Thaddeus would hardly refer to Billy’s disrespectful cheekiness as _nice_. “Does Tawny clean these things whatsoever?” He inquired while popping open a washer machine, tossing the sleeping bag inside and brushing himself off with a grimace of disgust. 

Billy shrugged, not bothering to relay a verbal answer as he held out a handful of change, Thaddeus taking it without a word of thanks, nonetheless giving the boy a minimal nod of acknowledgement. Thaddeus shut the washer, Billy unzipping his backpack as the older turned his attention towards selecting the options for the deepest cleaning available. 

“Here.” Billy spoke up, notably standoffish despite holding out a… plastic bag? 

Thaddeus began inserting the change, making no move to take the offered object. “What is it?” 

“Food from the diner I work at,” Billy answered. “You didn’t want to eat the Chef Boyardee, and I’m kinda’ trying to make sure you don’t starve and stuff, so…” He trailed off, further extending the leftovers. “You can have this if you want.” 

Thaddeus pressed the _ON_ button, turning to face Billy with an arched brow, the boy gesturing towards the bag again with a nod. After a pause, Thaddeus shook his head and walked over to a nearby bench while informing, “I ate the pasta.” 

Billy blinked, lowering the takeout bag. “Oh.” Billy glanced at the food, ignoring the way his own stomach emitted a quiet growl. “Canned foods aren’t exactly all that filling,” He hesitantly approached the sitting Thaddeus, the older giving him a look yet not making a comment as the boy sat next to him. “You can take it if you’re still kinda’ hungry.” 

Thaddeus crossed his arms, not seeing why Billy had to sit in the seat **right** next to his own, the boy apparently having no concept of personal space. “What is it?” Thaddeus asked after a beat, ultimately deciding against commenting on the hero’s proximity given how he assumed that would just cause another pointless fuss that would be a further damper on both of their days. 

“Just breakfast food— the diner’s pretty much known for its brunches and stuff.” Billy answered, insistently holding out the food once again. 

“Do you usually encourage others to break the rations rule?” Thaddeus inquired, nonetheless accepting the bag after a moment of consideration, drawing it away from the boy’s grasp. 

“You don’t **have** to eat it if you don’t want to.” Billy huffed, more miffed than angry, not seeing why Thaddeus couldn’t just say _thanks_ instead of scrutinizing every nice little thing Billy tried to do. 

“I was just making an observation.” Thaddeus calmly stated while opening the styrofoam container containing a single strip of shriveled bacon, a small sunny side up egg, and a less than normal sized pancake that obviously hadn’t been made with much batter. “ **This** is what your diner’s known for?” How pitiful. 

“I didn’t have enough to pay for an actual plate, so I just snagged some extra stuff that didn’t get served instead of throwing it out,” Billy explained, awkwardly rubbing the side of his neck. “Sorry— I know it’s not that much.” Another stomach growl, Billy annoyedly crossing his arms over his abdomen; he was used to not eating a lot, but that didn’t make loud stomach growls any less embarrassing. 

Thaddeus picked up the sliver of bacon without a word, a small part of Billy admittedly wishing he’d offered to split the meal, another part hoping Thaddeus might make that offer despite the likelihood being minimal and- 

And Thaddeus placed the styrofoam container back in Billy’s lap, earning a raised brow from the boy and dismissively informing, “I don’t generally eat pancakes.” 

Billy didn’t know whether to be grateful or feel insulted by Thaddeus’ lack of gratefulness. “Do you not like eggs either?” 

“I prefer them over easy.” Thaddeus stated, side eying the boy picking up and eating the pancake lacking syrup, lacking in both silverware and proper etiquette. 

“I’ll just give the eggs to Tawny or something, then.” Billy decided aloud, closing the takeout container. 

“You don’t like eggs?” Thaddeus inquired, fully aware the boy was obviously more than hungry, yet not quite sure as to why he bothered making the comment; he certainly didn’t have any desire whatsoever to converse with the boy that had taken away everything from him, and he definitely didn’t mind giving the pesky child the cold shoulder. Regardless, Thaddeus reckoned he didn’t have to tediously ensure **every** comment he made was one of disdain. 

“I do— I just don’t wanna’ hog all the food if I don’t need it.”” Billy explained with a shrug, already feeling a tinge of guilt about eating the pancake despite being more than just a little hungry. 

Thaddeus noted that Gluttony and Greed obviously weren’t the boy’s own vices, Thaddeus musingly wondering what Sin best befit him, admittedly somewhat intrigued— _somewhat_. “Did that uncle of yours not feed you?” Thaddeus asked, the question more mockful than sincere. 

“He’s definitely withheld a lot of dinners,” Billy bluntly informed, not seeing a reason to lie about his uncle being a bonafide jerk when Thaddeus was making a jab at his current situation regardless. “As punishments for getting in trouble or whatever.” 

Thaddeus hadn’t actually expected an answer confirming his comment, although it was hardly surprising— Billy was unruly, after all. “I see.” Thaddeus was more than familiar with being sent to bed without a meal for not behaving in an absolutely ideal manner, that being a common factor during his own childhood. 

Billy was relieved Thaddeus left it at that, not rubbing salt in the wound any further. “Do you wanna’ go do something while your sleeping bag’s getting washed?” Billy spoke up after a stretch of silence that the boy found awkward and the man found therapeutic. 

“You’re more than welcome to go _do something_ else,” Thaddeus replied, not bothering to look at the boy staring up at him. “I assure you that I don’t require the Eye to do something as simple as moving the sleeping bag from the washer to the dryer.” 

Billy scoffed at that, except… it was more of a snicker than a scoff. A laugh, really— a short laugh, yet still a laugh nonetheless. Thaddeus glanced down at the boy with narrowed eyes, because he wasn’t supposed to actually find that funny— that had been more of a dry sarcastic quip than a genuine friendly jest, but Billy didn’t seem to be keen on acknowledging that. 

“Yeah, I guess it’s not a bad idea to stick around— sometimes people will take out your laundry to load theirs in for a free wash.” Billy mused, slouching back in the seat and crossing his arms. 

Thaddeus glanced at the boy getting more than comfortable. “Only one of us has to stay.” Thaddeus pointed out, being less than subtle in making a _hint-hint_. 

“I don’t want you to get lost on your way back.” Billy said with a shrug, pulling out his with a shattered screen, holding his thumb against the _ON_ button in attempts to reboot it. “You know anything about fixing phones? It got knocked against the wall when uncle Eb tried to take it from me.” 

Ignoring the question, Thaddeus insisted, “You could just come back in an hour and a half or so.” 

Billy sighed, the screen remaining black, frustratedly shoving it back into his pocket; how was he going to stay in contact with Freddy and the rest of his family now? “It’s fine— I don’t really have anything else to do anyway.” 

Thaddeus didn’t see a reason to bother being polite about this. “ I’d really prefer some peace and quiet right now.” 

Billy frowned, Thaddeus’ thoroughly irked attitude not helping his own aggravation regarding his phone at the moment. “All right— I won’t talk.” 

Thaddeus crossed his arms, aware Billy was keeping an eye on him to ensure he didn’t try anything shady, although that didn’t make his presence any less annoying. “Could you at least move down a seat or so?” 

Billy rolled his eyes, not seeing why Thaddeus couldn’t just move himself somewhere else instead, but deciding not to start anything considering the older had ultimately been sitting there first. “Yeah, whatever… fine.” He murmured, standing up and moving to the opposite end of the room, getting **real** fed up with Thaddeus’ tendency to be such a standoffish grump. 

Thaddeus picked up a newspaper lying on the table beside him, noting an article regarding the recent prison breakout was displayed on the front page. Thaddeus skimmed over the article, his name and mugshot, unfortunately, being one of the first ones listed. From the looks of it, some of the prisoners had already been apprehended and returned— if Thaddeus wanted to remain unnoticed, he needed to get a better disguise than a coat covering prison clothing, his scarred eye being a significantly potential giveaway that could certainly use sunglasses of some sort; perhaps the allegedly oh so good and pure hero could assist him with that… 

Speaking of which, Thaddeus noticed Billy moving around from the corner of his eye, glancing the boy’s way and seeing the younger pull up his sleeve. Billy’s brow furrowed and a quiet exhale left his lips at the sight of the irritated stove burn that he’d gotten from attempting to keep his phone away from his uncle, clearly upset that the device had broken regardless of his efforts. Billy timidly touched the burn, wincing and drawing in a sharp breath through his teeth. 

“It’ll heal faster if you don’t mess with it.” Thaddeus spoke up, not that he cared— he was just voicing his experience in such matters. Matters he didn’t particularly care to remember if he could help it. Either way, he simply didn’t want to be bothered by Billy’s distracting sulking. 

Billy ignored the word of advice, continuing to gently examine the throbbing burn. “It’s not bad enough to scar or anything like that, right?” 

Thaddeus shrugged, eyes skimming over a series of easily forgettable texts. “I didn’t get a good enough look at it to determine anything like that.” 

Billy frowned, just staring at Thaddeus for a moment before hesitantly mumbling, “You’d be able to tell, then?” 

Thaddeus glanced at Billy, frowning at the fretful look the generally nonchalant boy was giving him. “I’m not a doctor.” He answered with a shrug, returning his sights towards the paper he hardly cared to read, but it was better than having to make conversation with the Wizard’s Champion. 

“Isn’t your title or whatever **Doctor** Sivana?” Billy continued to pester. 

“I’m not a medical doctor,” Thaddeus corrected, turning to the next page in his newspaper despite not finding anything that caught his interest. “I just have a P.h.D.” 

“Oh right sure, _just_ a P.h.D.,” Billy sarcastically drawled, Thaddeus thinning his lips and annoyance and- “I’ll be lucky if I graduate high school or get a G.E.D. at this rate,” Billy scoffed, Thaddeus blinking and side-eyeing the boy again. “Like seriously, how pretentious do you have to be to say you _just have a P.h.D._?” 

In a backhanded kind of way, that almost sounded like a compliment coming from the boy strangely enough. Then again, maybe Thaddeus just wasn’t used to having his achievements acknowledged. He **definitely** wasn’t used to anything along the lines of that, in fact. 

“You don’t heal when you transform?” Thaddeus inquired, admittedly intrigued, ignoring the boy’s perplexing comment regarding his P.h.D. mostly due to not exactly knowing how to react. 

“Nope— I’m more durable and stuff as _Sha-you-know-who-zam_ , but I pretty much keep any injuries I get either way,” Billy answered, clenching his wrist in attempts to distract himself from the dull ache of his burn mark. “So I guess you outdo me there, too.” 

Thaddeus allowed his newspaper to droop, lowering it towards his lap. “ _Outdo_ you?” 

“Yeah,” Billy confirmed with a nod. “With the demon-ball-thing you can pretty much use the Sins as laser eyes, and they can heal you, too,” Billy stared down at the burn, brow furrowing. “I can be pretty strong and fast or whatever, and I know how to fly and zap stuff, and I guess I’m kinda’ _invincible-ish_ , but you have all of that **plus** laser eyes and healing.” 

“Had.” Thaddeus corrected, bitterness in his tone. “I **had** those abilities,” He added, unfolding his newspaper and returning his gaze towards the strings of words with a cold hard stare, not making any sense of them no matter how many times he repetitively went over sentence by sentence, not having the luxury of being able to properly focus thanks to the boy’s tendency to pester. “Until you came along and stole the _Eye_.” 

“Because **you** _came along_ and tried to kill me.” Billy reminded for what felt like the dozenth time. 

“I wasn’t trying to kill you.” Thaddeus denied for what felt like the hundredth time. 

“You still attacked me **and** my siblings.” Billy defended, Thaddeus gritting his teeth and keeping his mouth shut, increasingly aware Billy would find a way to argue with any comment he made. “I’m pretty sure you would have put up a fight if the roles had been switched and I’d been the one to go after your family.” 

“No,” Thaddeus evenly replied without faltering, not breaking his gaze away from the newspaper. “I reckon I would have thanked you.” 

Thaddeus was met with silence, but this time there was tension clashing with any relief he would have felt otherwise at the lack of the boy’s voice. 

Perhaps Thaddeus should have refrained from making a statement like that, not at all wanting to get **too** brutally honest with the boy when that honesty was more personal than he’d like to admit. Perhaps Thaddeus should have been more mindful of his words, dismissively excusing his slipup as Billy’s impulsive comments rubbing off on him. 

“Oh.” Billy said after a beat, Thaddeus hoping he’d just leave it at that and- “Right…” Billy rubbed his upper arm, gaze averting. “Uh, my bad— sorry.” He had gotten the impression that Thaddeus hadn’t had the most pleasant familial experience, and that pretty much confirmed it. “They were pretty bad then, huh?” 

The newspaper crinkled from where Thaddeus gripped it a bit too tightly, coldly replying, “It doesn’t particularly concern you.” 

“I know,” Billy acknowledged with a shrug, Thaddeus deciding he preferred Billy’s brazen personality over this one in which he sounded like he was walking over eggshells— at least the boy didn’t beat around the bush when he was feeling cheeky and outright saying what he wanted to say rather than drawing it out and wasting Thaddeus’ time. “I just- you know… I get what you mean about-” 

“I don’t particularly care one way or another if you _get what I mean_.” Thaddeus icily interjected. 

Billy fell silent, but only for a few seconds. “I wasn’t-” Billy sighed in frustration, Thaddeus not seeing why the boy couldn’t just leave an offhand comment alone and move on. “I was just, you know…” Billy trailed off, not wanting to sound like he was spinning the topic back to him, eventually settling on, “I mean… dealing with a bunch of crappy stuff can seem a little less crappy when you have someone that kinda’ gets where you’re coming from, you know? That’s all.” 

“How eloquent.” Thaddeus replied in dry sarcasm, fairly certain he’d been staring at the same pointless place on the paper for at least a few minutes. 

Ignoring the jab, Billy tried another angle and hesitantly asked, “Did you have anyone you got along with in your family? Like, at least a cousin or something? Or was everyone pretty much just-” 

“I have no interest whatsoever in discussing family matters with anyone whatsoever, much less you.” Thaddeus bluntly informed, feeling the boy looking at him from the corner of his eye but refusing to meet the stare out of spite more than anything. 

“Okay,” Billy immediately acknowledged surprisingly enough, not stubbornly pushing the matter any further. “That’s fine,” Thaddeus scoffed, not needing the mere boy to tell him what was and wasn’t _fine_. “I don’t really like talking about that kinda’ stuff with other people either,” He informed, Thaddeus setting his jaw in annoyance at the incessant yapping. “Like, there’s a ton of stuff I haven’t told Freddy about some of the things that went on with my old foster homes, and I tell him pretty much everything.” The corners of Thaddeus’ lips did admittedly tug down at that, glancing towards Billy broodingly, that comment in particular standing out just a bit, causing Billy to clear his throat and avert his gaze while reassuringly adding, “So at least Uncle Eb isn’t the worst I’ve had; staying with him definitely sucks, but it’s not as awful as it could be or whatever.” Somehow, Thaddeus didn’t find that particularly reassuring, reflexively glancing back towards the boy’s burn on his forearm somewhat quizzically. “Anyways, sorry if I, uh, made it sound like I was trying to pry or some-” 

“It’s fine,” Thaddeus spoke up, not quite nicely yet not exactly bitterly either. “You don’t need to apologize.” He stated more than assured, but it wasn’t a mocking statement at the very least. 

Billy relaxed a little at that. “Okay.” He glanced at Thaddeus, noting the other was looking back towards the newspaper, hesitantly asking, “Whatcha’ reading?” Maybe a change in subject could ease the tension. 

Thaddeus wearily released a quiet exhale, giving the boy a look, irked that his attempts to read the articles were being repetitively interrupted. “The news.” 

“Obviously.” Billy said with an eye roll, Thaddeus shaking his head in more annoyance than anger while flipping to the page regarding the weather. “Does it have any comics?” 

“You still read comics at your age?” Thaddeus goaded, noting the upcoming week was supposed to be particularly cold. Peachy. At this point, the jail cell was looking considerably cozy compared to the underpass. 

“I collect them for Sunny.” Billy informed with a huff. 

It took a moment for Thaddeus to register the fact that Billy was talking about the boy that he’d referred to as Darla’s friend— AKA yet another potential weak point for the Shazam family that Thaddeus would have to keep in mind for potential plans. 

“Here.” Thaddeus offered, holding out the newspaper, certainly not about to bring it to Billy when the boy had two perfectly good legs to walk with, having no intention of doing the Wizard’s Champion even the tiniest favor. 

Billy hesitated, lips tugging downwards. “Are you done reading it? I don’t need the whole thing— just the comics.” 

Thaddeus refrained from scoffing at Billy’s assumption that he’d be able to read it even if he wanted to with the boy’s constant pestering. “I’ve read what I wanted to.” In truth, there was nothing else of particular interest anyways. 

Billy paused, asking after a beat, “Are you sure-” 

“Do you want it, or would you rather I throw it away?” Thaddeus interjected impatiently. 

“Okay okay, _yeesh_ …” Billy huffed while getting up. “You don’t have to be so crabby.” He said under his breath, Thaddeus catching the comment nonetheless, the older man briefly considering tossing the newspaper in the bin so the audacious boy would have to fish it out. 

Billy took the newspaper, Thaddeus furrowing his brow and massaging the bridge of his nose as the insufferable teenager once again sat **right** beside him instead of returning to his side of the room, Thaddeus’ eyes sliding shut while he released a sharp exhale as Billy began flipping through the pages. 

Thaddeus was almost certain laundry had never taken as long to wash as it was then. 

Just to further Thaddeus’ point, Billy spoke up to ask, “What’s your favorite comic?” The criminal began considering the notion of turning himself in— at least he could get some peace and quiet in his jail cell. “I mean, have you ever actually read comic strips?” Billy added before Thaddeus could answer. “Like, as a kid did you-” 

“Mandrake the Magician.” Thaddeus begrudgingly answered. 

Billy perked up, the weary Thaddeus crossing his arms and side-eyeing the boy that replied genuinely intrigued, “I’ve never read that one. What’s it about?” 

“A magician.” Thaddeus stated unenthusiastically. 

Billy rolled his eyes at the sarcasm. “Obviously.” When it became apparent Thaddeus had no desire to elaborate, Billy said, “Well my favorite’s-” 

“Dennis the Menace?” Thaddeus offered entirely seriously, narrowing his eyes at the fact that his comment actually earned a laugh from the boy. A small and short laugh that was relatively quiet, but it was most definitely a laugh nonetheless. Although Billy wasn’t supposed to actually find entertainment in the accusation— Thaddeus had meant that in a way more snide than kind. Nevertheless, it seemed to amuse the insufferable boy. 

“No, but good guess,” Billy acknowledged with a slight smirk, Thaddeus not returning the much too friendly expression. “It’s Calvin and Hobbes.” He stopped flipping through the newspaper, pulling out the page of discovered comic strips. “Sunny and Darla both like-” 

A _jingle_ signaled an entering customer, Thaddeus being saved by the bell from Billy’s relentless chatter given how the boy immediately went quiet, both glancing over towards the man walking through the door— white tank top. Baggy jeans. Fancy belt. Relatively tall. Definitely built. Crew cut. Stern expression. Frankly a little intimidating. 

Billy subtly slid the newspaper towards Thaddeus’ lap, the older giving him a quizzical look, brow raising as the boy gave him a nudge and- oh. 

Oh. _Oh_. Right. 

Thaddeus calmly raised the newspaper upwards, obscuring his face from the stranger’s view, Billy quietly keeping his sights glued on the comics as the customer began to load in his laundry, setting a pair of sunglasses on the side of the washer. 

Initially, there seemed to be no cause for any real concern. 

And then Billy hesitantly looked up from the newspaper, and his eyes widened upon noticing a dark blue outfit that the stranger was putting into the wash. A blue outfit with a golden patch on the side. A blue outfit that was actually a uniform. A police uniform, to be exact. 

Thaddeus caught the way Billy visibly tensed up beside him, narrowing his eyes at the fidgety boy, frowning at the antsy glance he received from the younger, quizzically looking over his newspaper towards the stranger and- 

Oh. Oh this was just fantastic. 

All right— okay… this was fine. There was no reason to panic. As long as they just kept to themselves and hid their faces behind their newspapers, things would go smoothly. The officer wasn’t on duty, and he had no reason to be suspicious of two mundane people on a mundane day in a mundane laundromat and a mundane- 

The policeman cussed under his breath, the hairs on the back of Billy’s neck standing on end, Thaddeus’ jaw clenching and- 

“Do either of you have change for a five?” The officer spoke up, Billy swallowing thickly while the unmoving Thaddeus just silently stared at the middle of his newspaper. 

Ever so hesitantly, Billy said, “No I-,” He cleared his throat, voice cracking. “No… sorry.” It would be more suspicious if neither of them answered, right? A little voice crack was totally normal at fifteen. That wouldn’t make the policeman suspicious, would it? 

The officer released a heavy exhale, Thaddeus reflexively tightening his grasp on the newspaper as the policeman took a step towards them, Billy raising the comic strips page a bit higher over his own face in attempts to hide the fact he was freaking out substantially. “You wouldn’t happen to have any spare change you could do without, would you? I’m a few quarters short, and wouldn’t mind lending either of you a five.” 

The anxious Billy was behaving much too obviously, Thaddeus speaking up to evenly answer, “I only brought exact change.” 

The officer was practically standing directly in front of them, Billy realizing he absolutely had no idea as to how he’d explain to Uncle Eb why he’d been hanging around Shazam’s very first bonafide nemesis if the two of them got caught. 

Unfortunately, Billy and Thaddeus were sitting right in front of a bulletin board that displayed the varying prices for varying washload settings, the officer broodingly considering his options. After a stretch of time that went by much too gradually, the policeman finally retreated, Billy and Thaddeus finally having a moment to relax and no longer hold their breaths in uneasy anticipation. 

It only lasted for a moment, however, given how the officer walked right back up to them after he finished loading in his dirty laundry much too quickly. “Do you two mind if I get by you real quick? I have some flyers to put up.” 

Oh boy. “Sure,” Billy reluctantly answered. “No problem.” He made no move to get up, practically frozen in his seat, not wanting Thaddeus to lower his newspaper and get them both tasered. “Do you, uh, need any help putting up the flyers?” Billy offered while forcing himself to stand, awkwardly shuffling in front of the officer, trying to block off his view of Thaddeus. 

The officer quirked a brow as Thaddeus took the opportunity to stand, avoiding the policeman’s gaze as he kept his head down and- 

“Hey!” The policeman said in a raised voice, Thaddeus freezing and Billy feeling his gut sunk. “I know who you are!” Thaddeus straightened up, Billy parting his lips to say something despite not managing to get anything out. “You’re that runaway we’re always having to fill out reports about for that old man of yours!” 

Thaddeus visibly relaxed at that, Billy feeling a wave of relief wash over him, the boy emitting a nervous chuckle while confirming, “Oh, uh… yep! That’s me!” Thaddeus calmly approached the exit, Billy trying to keep the officer’s attention by saying, “I’m not really running away anymore, though,” He lied, Thaddeus pausing at the door and glancing over his shoulder at the boy. “I’m actually really liking my new home!” He continued to fib, Thaddeus frowning and broodingly glancing outside, carefully considering his options. “Bet you’re glad you don’t have to worry about taking me in on your day off, huh?” 

“Yeah right,” The cop scoffed, Thaddeus’ hand on the door’s rail. “I’m pretty sure we just got **another** call about you last night, kid.” 

Thaddeus considered lying to the policeman— he could tell him he saw a man grab a woman’s purse from across the street… that could buy some time. 

“Last night? Really?” Billy asked as innocently as possible, which wasn’t very. “Nope— sorry. Had to have been someone else. Definitely wasn’t me. The last time I ran away was, like, a week ago… haven’t run away since.” 

Thaddeus set his jaw— he could get away just fine… he didn’t need to buy time for himself. The hero was the one in trouble now, and that didn’t concern him whatsoever. Thaddeus could find his way back to the underpass one way or another without him. 

“So if I call my boys back at the precinct right now,” The policeman began to challenge, Thaddeus pausing, not pushing the door open just quite yet. “They’ll tell me we don’t have any fresh reports about ya’?” 

“Yeah,” Billy answered, hearing the bell above the entrance chime, briefly glancing towards the newly empty threshold as the door fell shut before quickly returning his gaze towards the officer. “Yeah… pretty much…” Billy cleared his throat. “But you really don’t have to do that. I mean, you’ve obviously got your hands full with last night’s prison breakout,” He gestured towards the _Wanted_ flyers in the officer’s arms, Thaddeus Sivana’s being on top. “And I don’t wanna’ disturb your time off, so-” 

“Nice try, kid,” The cop interjected, pulling out his phone. “But I’m not letting you off that easily.” 

Billy’s expression fell, his shoulders slumping as he released a heavy exhale. 

Oh well— he’d tried. 

Billy bolted, not needing to say _Shazam_ to know how to make a run for it— he had more than enough experience when it came to being evasive. 

The cop quickly found Billy was a slippery little weasel, the boy managing to bypass the officer’s grabs and snag the policeman’s discarded sunglasses on his way out, the boy relieved to find he was one of the easier officers to get by given how Billy managed to lose him in a crowd after darting down an alleyway; some of the guys in the precinct could be **way** too fast for Billy’s liking, resulting in a number of close calls and even a few catches here and there. 

Billy maintained a quick pace just in case, jogging down a sidewalk until coming upon a familiar arch nemesis. 

“Thadde- Jon!” Billy called out, Thaddeus visibly tensing at the near usage of his name, coming to a halt and sending a cold stare over his shoulder at the boy drawing much too much attention towards them. 

“Oh joy,” Thaddeus said in a completely emotionless tone verging on disdain, dry sarcasm laced in his words. “You made it.” 

Billy gave Thaddeus a look. “I could have just let him catch you, you know.” Thaddeus opened his mouth to say something back that was likely snide, but Billy spoke first. “Here,” He held out a pair of black sunglasses, Thaddeus’ brow arching. “I grabbed these for you.” 

Thaddeus’ mouth shut, whatever insult he’d nearly spoken being dismissed. “Did you steal those from the officer?” He inquired, hesitantly taking the sunglasses despite them not particularly being his style, although he couldn’t exactly be picky. 

“I mean, yeah— you needed sunglasses,” Billy confirmed with a shrug. “He kind’ seemed like a jerk anyways.” He dismissively added as Thaddeus put on the sunglasses, Billy perking up. “Hey, those actually cover up the scar pretty well!” 

“I’m not sure a policeman is the best place to steal anything from,” Thaddeus commented somewhat scoldingly, not wanting this to come back around and cause even more unneeded trouble consequently. “Necessities or otherwise. 

Billy rolled his eyes, arms crossing. “Says the big bad villain.” He sarcastically brushed off absolutely unbothered, earning a look. “Oh come on, he has way more important crap to deal with than some kid stealing his glasses. Besides, they at least look decent on you compared to him.” Billy had practically done the cop a favor taking his sunglasses away— they’d looked just a little too small for the officer in question. 

Thaddeus raised a brow upon receiving yet another backhanded compliment, once again not quite sure knowing what he was supposed to say to a comment like that, and ultimately deciding to just not address it. “Is this the way back to the underpass?” Thaddeus inquired, gesturing towards the sidewalk he’d been walking along. 

“Yep— it’s just around the block,” Billy confirmed while walking off, gesturing for Thaddeus to follow. “You mind if I ask you something?” 

Thaddeus doubted he had a choice. “Go on.” 

“Why pick Jon for your alias or whatever?” Billy questioned, Thaddeus just glancing at the boy without answering. “Isn’t Jon just a little, you know… cliché and obvious? Is it just a John Doe kind of thing, or-” 

“It was the name of an old friend.” Thaddeus informed, not quite angrily or annoyedly or even coldly, but certainly… well certainly _stiffly_ , to say the least. 

“Oh.” Billy got the feeling Thaddeus had no intention of saying much more than that. “Okay.” Billy rubbed the side of his neck, hoping it hadn’t sounded like he’d been making fun of the name, getting the distinct feeling he shouldn’t have commented on it for whatever reason. “Sorry, I wasn’t trying to-” 

“It’s fine.” Thaddeus dismissively interjected, Billy falling quiet, Thaddeus glancing at him from the corner of his eye and commenting, “You apologize often.” _For someone with such a brazen attitude_. He’d initially assumed the boy was more arrogant and careless than anything, and he was undoubtedly cheeky, yet not quite as bratty surprisingly enough. 

“Sorry,” Billy apologized again, wanting to facepalm himself at his reply. “Force of habit, I guess.” 

Thaddeus couldn’t help but note it sounded like there was more to that comment, yet Billy left it at that, Thaddeus not pressing the matter. 

Somehow, the tension had only risen. 

“If you want, I could sneak back into my uncle’s place while he’s at work later today,” Billy spoke up, trying to ease the awkwardness by changing the subject. “He’s really lanky, but I’m pretty sure some of his clothes would at least kinda’ fit you— even if they’re a little long,” Billy shoved his hands into his pockets, giving a shrug. “I’m guessing they’d be better than the prison uniform, anyways. I mean, assuming you don’t want to have to wear that coat all the time, right?” The corners of Billy’s lips tugged downwards, a sigh escaping his lips. “I dunno’ if he has any hats or anything like that, though— I’ve never really seen him wear one.” He looked up at Thaddeus. “That’s all you have leftover for the stuff you need for a disguise or whatever to make you less recognizable, right?” 

Thaddeus gave a hesitant nod, pausing before saying, “You’re not concerned your uncle might catch you?” 

“Not really,” Billy assured in a way Thaddeus doubted was totally genuine. “It should be fine as long as I sneak in during his work hours.” In fact, it sounded like Billy was trying to reassure himself more than he was trying to reassure Thaddeus. “I have a paycheck coming up, so if he doesn’t have any hats then I can just use that to buy you one or something,” Billy sighed, shoulders dropping. “It’s not like I’ll need the money to pay bills for a broken phone, anyways.” It looked like he’d be saving up for a new one. Until then, he’d just have to keep in contact with Freddy and the rest of his family on the down-low, knowing the cops and social workers were probably going to be coming by the Vasquez household now and again to make sure he wasn’t hiding out there. 

Thaddeus was admittedly not sure what to make of Billy’s seemingly genuine attempts to help him out, finding the boy’s oddly generous assistance substantially perplexing, to say the least; Billy had no obligation here, and he had every reason not to give Thaddeus as much as a second glance, and yet he was irrationally going out on a limb for the man he only knew as the man that had essentially terrorized him and his family. As far as Thaddeus was concerned, Billy was either naïvely forgiving, impulsively heroic, or simply insane given how his actions lacked any rational explanation— unless an ulterior motive was perhaps involved? Thaddeus couldn’t fathom anything Billy might expect in return for such favors when Thaddeus was essentially at rock bottom. Was he actually hoping Thaddeus may give up his endeavors for the Eye to thank him? Because Thaddeus had absolutely no intention of giving up his claim to the power that had once been his just because this child had been foolish enough not to put him back in prison. 

In short, Thaddeus was hardly familiar with the notion of offering kindness simply for the sake of kindness. 

“Won’t your uncle notice missing clothing?” Thaddeus contemplatively commented after a brief pause. 

“I really don’t care if he does.” Billy bluntly informed. “I’ve stolen from nicer people anyways.” He dismissed with a shrug. 

Thaddeus quirked a brow at Billy. “For a _hero pure of heart_ , you’re more of a delinquent than I’d initially assumed you’d be.” 

Billy looked up at Thaddeus, the boy slightly narrowing his eyes, not quite sure as to whether that was supposed to be an insult, a jab, or just a comment. “Oh right, like you’ve totally never stolen anything.” Billy sarcastically scoffed, pointedly giving a nod towards Thaddeus’ coat. 

“I have,” Thaddeus acknowledged, briefly recalling taking the Eye of Sin from its pedestal. “Although I don’t claim to be a hero.” 

Billy’s brow furrowed, his expression falling as he averted his gaze towards the ground. “Yeah well I didn’t exactly sign up for this.” Thaddeus tilted his head at the unexpected comment, the peculiar statement certainly being… rather interesting, to say the least. “Not that I don’t like, you know, being Superman _two-point-oh_ or whatever,” Billy quickly added upon noticing the intrigued look Thaddeus was giving him, the boy hurriedly correcting himself. “It would just be nice if this hero stuff came with a manual or something. I mean, the Wizard dude pretty much just dumped a whole bunch of important crap on me without actually offering any tips or letting me have much of a say in the matter, so that kinda’ sucked. It’s cool and all, and I guess I’ve pretty much gotten the gist by now, but it would still definitely be nice to not have so much…” Billy trailed off, realizing he was rambling, throat clearing. “Sorry— I guess Freddy’s sort of rubbing off on me,” A pause. “Because he talks so-” 

“I got it.” Thaddeus informed, definitely not needing the joke to be explained given how he was more than aware the boy called Freddy was even more of a chatterbox than Billy was. Thaddeus noted Billy was looking back down at his shoes again, the boy evidently not being the fondest of eye contact. “The Wizard never explained why he chose you, then?” Thaddeus inquired, not wanting to encourage the boy to talk his ear off, yet also admittedly interested in that particular detail. 

“Not really,” Billy confessed, and Thaddeus couldn’t help but be reminded of his own encounter with the Wizard, Billy looking even more lost than he’d been. “Honestly? I’m pretty sure the Wizard was just-” 

Billy was cut off by an _oof_ , the boy stumbling forward and nearly falling, Thaddeus blinking and coming to a halt as he saw **something** essentially catapult itself onto the boy’s leg, the older man’s brow raising at the sight of a much smaller and much younger boy practically latching onto Billy’s hip. Billy’s expression softened, the corners of his lips tugging upwards at the sight of a freckled face staring up at him with huge blue eyes. 

“Hey there, Sunny,” Billy greeted with a chuckle, reaching down to ruffle the smiling boy’s shaggy blond hair. “It’s been forever, kiddo. How’ve you been?” 

Thaddeus eyed over the younger boy with a button nose and a gap between his two front teeth— so _this_ was Sunny. He was small, even for his age. Probably even smaller than Darlene or Darla or whatever the girl’s name was. Rather pale, too. His clothes were also considerably baggy, the green turtleneck and vertically striped brown trousers obviously hand-me-downs. 

Instead of answering Billy’s question, Sunny glanced at Thaddeus, the older man crossing his arms somewhat impatiently. Sunny frowned, looking up at Billy uncertainly, pointing at Thaddeus without uttering a word which really did seem rather rude to Thaddeus quite frankly. 

“Oh. Right.” Billy forced a smile. “This is my, uh, friend… Mr. Siv- Jon. Mr. Jon.” 

Thaddeus gave Billy a look at the near usage of his real name. 

Sunny looked up at Billy with a furrowed brow before returning his gaze towards Thaddeus, hesitating before unsurely raising a hand, giving Thaddeus a timid wave. Thaddeus quirked a brow, inclining his chin in minimal acknowledgment without saying a simple _hello_ or returning the wave, not even offering a smile as his expression remained unchanged. The corners of Sunny’s lips tugged downwards, the smaller uneasily shuffling closer to Billy. Sunny meekly sent Billy another questioning stare, even a nine-year-old being able to tell something was off apparently. 

Billy cleared his throat, giving Sunny a nudge. “Why don’t you go on ahead?” Sunny’s frown deepened, Billy persistently gesturing towards the highway ramp only a crosswalk away from them. “We’ll catch up and meet you back at the underpass in a bit.” 

Sunny hesitated, glancing at Thaddeus one more time before looking back up at Billy, the boy giving a nod forward to urge him onwards. Ever so reluctantly, Sunny left, hurrying down the sidewalk and glancing over his shoulder one more time before merging into an oncoming crowd. 

Billy gave Thaddeus a look, Thaddeus narrowing his eyes and questioning, “What?” 

“Could you not have looked at the kid like you were gonna’ kill him?” Billy scoffed, shaking his head as he began walking forward. 

Thaddeus’ eyes narrowed further, promptly following, tone cold as he said, “I didn’t-” 

“Look,” Billy interjected, significantly annoyed for whatever reason. “You don’t have to be all nice or whatever, but you could at least try to not be mean.” 

It was Thaddeus’ turn to scoff. “I don’t recall directing an unkind comment towards the boy.” Or any comment at all, really. 

“Yeah, well you didn’t have to **glare** at him,” Billy snapped, Thaddeus not seeing why he was making such a big deal out of such a minor thing. “I don’t really care if you act like a genuine jerkface to me, but a nine-year-old is kinda’ pushing it.” 

“I wasn’t aware you had an issue with neutral expressions.” Thaddeus retorted, quickly becoming just as aggravated by the boy’s attempt to pointlessly start something for seemingly little to no reason at all. 

“Glaring isn’t a neutral expression.” Billy countered in a raised voice, giving Thaddeus a look and receiving an icy stare, the boy pausing before digressing, “Okay, fine— maybe it’s kind of a normal look for you, but still.” Thaddeus narrowed his eyes, brow raising before he shook his head with a scoff, not understanding what the perplexing boy was oh so immaturely ranting on about. “Just-” Billy released a frustrated sigh, realizing he probably wasn’t being as articulate as he’d like to be. “Just try to let up on the frowns around Sunny, okay?” Billy was more than aware he wasn’t always the most well spoken person, knowing Freddy would definitely back him up about that. “He doesn’t do good with stuff like that.” 

As though to further prove Billy’s point regarding a lack of eloquence, Thaddeus questioned, “What?”, due to not knowing what on earth Billy was talking about. 

Billy averted his gaze once again, Thaddeus not bothering to break away his own, just expectantly looking at the boy with impatience, Billy pausing to choose his words carefully before elaborating, “Sunny gets super freaked out by loud noises, and fast movements, and upset expressions, all right?” Billy hesitated before adding in a quieter voice, “He’s had some pretty bad experiences, and he can get scared really badly when it seems like someone’s angry at him, or even just annoyed, because he’s used to-” Billy tried to find the right way to put this. “-escalations.” They were nearly at the underpass. “You don’t have to play with him or whatever— you obviously don't really like kids, and that’s fine, but just don’t… you know…” Billy trailed off. “Just-” 

“All right,” Thaddeus interjected, his tone surprisingly calm. “I’ll bear that in mind.” He understood what Billy was trying to say now, not seeing any reason to make the boy struggle with his attempts to explain any further. 

Billy visibly relaxed at that, giving, the corners of his lips just barely tugging upwards in relief, almost looking pleasantly surprised by Thaddeus’ words. “Thanks…” 

Thaddeus frowned at the slight smile he received from the boy, no smugness evident. Thaddeus chose to not reply, frankly not quite knowing how to when no malice or sarcasm was involved. Thaddeus did, however, give a nod of acknowledgement rather than dismiss the gratitude altogether, and then it was Thaddeus averting his gaze forward instead. 

Billy was clearly getting much too chummy with Thaddeus, and Thaddeus wasn’t particularly fond of that, but he supposed it could be worse— the boy could have sent him back to jail, or even attacked him on sight. For whatever reason, he hadn’t, and somehow the boy was just proving to be more and more perplexing. 

“I’m gonna’ go give the comics to Sunny,” Billy spoke up as they reached the underpass, rubbing the side of his neck. “He has some trouble reading since he got a **super** late start in school, so I’ve been trying to help him out when I can,” Thaddeus noted Billy’s gaze was still averted. “Do you, uh, wanna’ come with? Or do you wanna’ just hang around and-” 

“I hardly have anything better to do.” Thaddeus stated frankly, not caring either way. If only he did have something better to do… 

Billy perked up a little, clearly not expecting Thaddeus to agree to come along— even if it was a bit of a backhanded agreement. “Okay… Okay— cool.” Billy gave a smile that was slightly forced and somewhat awkward, Thaddeus hoping the hindrance wasn’t taking this as any means of progress— he still loathed the pesky hero. “C’mon, his tent’s this way.” 

Thaddeus followed Billy back to the familiar tent with the string of bells on it, Billy giving it a pull, the _jingle_ prompting Sunny to emerge from his home, the boy’s expression brightening at the sight of Billy holding up newspaper comic strips. 

Thaddeus sat on the curbside as Billy and Sunny sat cross-legged on a bath-mat feigning as a welcome-mat that just laid outside of the boy’s tent, Thaddeus idly flipping through the newspaper he’d stuffed into his coat pocket, aimlessly reading articles he didn’t quite care all that much about as a means for minimal entertainment. Billy helping Sunny read the comic strip word for word proved to be background noise that wasn’t nearly as annoying as Thaddeus had assumed it would be, the tutoring not really bothering the older man whatsoever surprisingly enough. 

“Hey Billy!” A new voice spoke up, Thaddeus’ gaze flickering towards the approaching Tawny. “You got a minute?” 

Billy lowered the newspaper, Sunny straightening up and no longer leaning on the older as Billy said, “Yeah, what’s up?” 

“Aunty Min isn’t feeling too good,” Tawny informed with a sigh, Billy’s expression falling and Sunny frowning. “You always manage to cheer her up— you mind looking after her while I go to get more canned goods? She sure has missed you.” 

“Yeah, no problem.” Billy immediately accepted without hesitation, holding out the comics. “Sorry Sunny, can you practice reading these on your own for a little while?” Sunny nodded somewhat hesitantly, carefully taking the sheet of newspaper as Billy stood. “Is she still in the same tent?” 

“Yep, same spot as always.” Tawny confirmed, Billy following him down the sidewalk. 

“Is she feeling any better?” Thaddeus heard Billy ask, their voices becoming more distant. 

Tawny paused. “It’s complicated, Billy— she’s…” Their voices becoming too soft to make out the farther away they walked. 

Thaddeus frowned, practically feeling a pair of eyes locking onto him, considering reacting dismissively before ultimately looking over the top of his newspaper at Sunny, the boy staring directly at him while fumbling somewhat anxiously with his comics. Thaddeus arched a brow, the child glancing between Thaddeus and the comic strips, before hesitantly looking up at Thaddeus again, the notion clear. Thaddeus refrained from narrowing his eyes and scoffing, instead choosing to merely raise his newspaper back up and not look at the boy whatsoever; he had absolutely no interest in reading with children. 

Sunny’s shoulders slumped, the boy’s head drooping as he gazed down at the comics with a furrowed brow, trying to figure out what the words were supposed to be saying. 

Thaddeus eventually glanced at Sunny one more time, the corners of his lips tugging downwards; the frustrated boy looked like he was on the verge of crying, his lower lip quivering and eyes much too glossy. Thaddeus shook his head and raised his newspaper back up— this child was no responsibility of his, and it’s not as though he was scolding or glaring at the boy… he was merely ignoring him. 

For once, Thaddeus actually preferred being in the presence of Billy’s company, because at least in this case it wouldn’t awkwardly leave Thaddeus in a less than favorable position that was grimace worthy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you squint you might see them bonding... if you’d call Thaddeus tolerating Billy to an extent and Billy impulsively being a little too honest around Thaddeus bonding. Comparatively, it’s progress, right? Something’s better than nothing. Allegedly.


	9. A Spark Through the Smoke

Thaddeus decided it would be best to return to the laundromat on his own given how Billy had caused a scene, drying his sleeping bag with the spare change the boy had given him before tossing it over his shoulder and making his way back to the underpass. Upon his return, he noticed Billy standing in front of a lit burn barrel, the boy coughing while keeping an eye on the can of soup propped up on the barrel’s metal grating lid. 

“Not particularly the safest way to cook.” Thaddeus commented aloud. 

Billy blinked, looking over his shoulder at the approaching Thaddeus. “It’s not like we have a microwave or stove.” He said with a shrug. “You-“” Billy coughed, clearing his throat. “You got your sleeping bag.” Another cough, the boy scrunching his nose while waving the smoke out of his face. 

“Remarkable observation.” Thaddeus replied in dry sarcasm, brow quirking at how Billy gave him a look before letting out a series of coughs, pausing before somewhat hesitantly advising, “Try to not breathe in the fumes— the smoke can be toxic given how the barrels can’t acquire enough oxygen.” 

Billy’s eyes widened. “Wait, what? Seriously?” Another cough. “I’ve been around this stuff since I was three!” Billy tried to wave away the smoke making his eyes water, Thaddeus grimacing at the louder cough Billy emitted. “Okay, I’m uh, pretty sure this is warm enough.” He said through yet another cough, using a cloth bundled around his hand in the form of a makeshift mitten to pick up the can of soup, his free hand using a bucket of water to douse the fire, simmering down the flames as smoke whooshed up. “I’m-” Unsurprisingly, Billy coughed again. “I’m gonna’ go give this to Aunty Min; you-” Billy coughed, Thaddeus mindfully taking a step away from the rising smoke. “You wanna’ come? She wants to meet you.” Aaand another cough. 

Thaddeus arched a brow. “Who?” 

“Just a woman that’s been here for a while,” Billy explained somewhat hoarsely. “Tawny told her about you, and she asked me to bring you by sometime for introductions or whatever.” 

It wasn’t as though Thaddeus had anything better to do, deciding he might as well meet more people he could potentially use against the hero if the opportunity ever arose. “All right.” 

Billy gestured Thaddeus forward. “C’mon— her tent’s just right over here.” He informed, leading the older man towards a gray tent with scarves of every color hanging on a nearby closeline. “Hey aunty Min, I got your soup.” Billy spoke up while unzipping the tent, letting the older woman know she had company. 

“You didn’t get me any of that organic pea soup crap, did you?” An elderly woman with her hair styled into a messy bun replied in a brittle croaky voice, adjusting the small round spectacles propped atop her arched nose. 

Billy smirked, stepping into one of the only tents he could actually stand up in without having to crouch over. “Oh don’t you worry— I got you the unhealthiest chowder packed with the most GMOs and carbs that I could find.” He jokingly assured, earning a nod of satisfaction. “I, uh, brought by the guy Tawny told you about,” He added somewhat hesitantly, Thaddeus stepping inside. “Jon, meet aunty Min. Aunty Min, meet Jon.” 

Thaddeus greeted the woman with a nod of acknowledgment, but not much more; he noted her tent was more spacious than most here probably were, and she even had a cot. The border collie was, unfortunately, there as well, perking up from its place beside the woman, tail briefly wagging at the sight of Billy, its ears flopping as it tilted its head at Thaddeus. 

“Well I would have gotten all dolled up if I’d known you were bringing company by so soon,” Aunty Min huffed in a thick Philly accent, readjusting the tattered sleeves on her long black nightgown with lacy white trimming, smoothing out the wrinkles in her pastel yellow scarf. “And you’re more than welcome to call me  _ Minerva _ , Jon.” The Chinese woman added while struggling to sit up, reaching for her brown boots. 

“Hey, take it easy,” Billy objected while rushing forward, setting the soup on a plastic container playing the role of a table. “You don’t need to be getting up right now.” He quietly scolded while ushering Minerva back into a lying position, easing her against a stack of decorative pillows. 

“Oh hush now, you know I can get around just fine.” Minerva dismissively claimed, nonetheless allowing Billy to help her back down, the woman releasing a weary exhale. 

“Here,” Billy urged, grabbing the soup and holding it out towards Minerva. “Can you try to eat at least a little of this?” Billy frowned at the way Minerva made no move to take the can. “Tawny told me you didn’t eat anything yesterday, either.” 

“Well Tawny certainly doesn’t need to be telling you stuff like that,” Minerva declared in annoyance. “There’s no sense in going off and making a young boy like yourself worry about stuff that there ain’t no need to worry about,” She crossed her arms. “Particularly when it’s not as though I haven’t gone and skipped a few meals here and there before.” 

“It sounds like you’re skipping them a lot more frequently lately.” Billy mumbled, Minerva’s expression faltering— briefly. 

“Oh come on now— don’t you go giving me a face like that,” Minerva chided, the creases in her skin deepening as she gave a somewhat forced smile, crows feet scrunching. “You don’t need to be getting all fussy over little ol’ me when you’ve got your own problems to take care of,” She gave Billy a pointed look. “You just need to be looking out for yourself now, you hear?” A pause, her eyes narrowing. “You still with that uncle of yours?” 

Billy nodded, rubbing his upper arm, gaze averting. “He’s kinda’ the reason I ran away again.” 

“Well that’s no surprise,” Minerva scoffed, glancing over Billy’s shoulder at the Thaddeus that was examining the tent’s interior more than he was paying attention. “Has this Mr. Jon fella been looking out for you all right?” 

Thaddeus blinked, brow raising. “ _ Pardon? _ ” 

“ _ What? _ ” Billy said at the same time. 

“Since the Vasquez family can’t look after you right as is with all of them cops snooping around ‘n making sure you’re not hiding out with ‘em,” Minerva explained as though it should be obvious, gesturing towards Thaddeus with a nod. “Is Mr. Jon here making sure you stay out of trouble?” 

Billy forced a smile. “Oh.” If only she knew. “Yeah— yeah… totally.” He cleared his throat. “He’s definitely been, uh…” He glanced over his shoulder, looking at Thaddeus while attempting to find the right word. “... considerate and supportive and… stuff.” Geez, Billy was such a liar. 

Thaddeus’ brow raised further, a smug sort of smirk just barely tugging at his lips, the subtle expression being easy to miss. Billy gave him a slight glare before returning his attention back towards Minerva, Thaddeus chiming in to say, “Glad I could be of help.” Ugh, Billy was never going to hear the end of this, already regretting regarding the man in any manner of admiration whatsoever— regardless of its ingenuity. 

Minerva looked calmed by that, however, so it was worth it. “Good.” She emitted a yawn, covering her mouth with her scarf. “It sure has been good visiting you, kiddo, but it’s just about time for me to get some shut-eye,” She tiredly informed, the mere act of conversation seeming to exhaust her. “How about you come by sometime tonight for another visit? We still got a lot of catching up to do— I wanna’ hear all about that journalism class you’re taking.” 

Billy felt a pang of guilt at that— he hadn’t taken the time to check up on the people here for a while now… he used to stop by frequently, but he’d stopped coming around when he’d settled in with the Vasquez family. It had almost been a year before he’d snuck back to the underpass after his uncle seized the rights to foster him. 

“I’ll come by after dinner,” Billy assured with a nod. “Just… try to drink some of the soup, okay?” 

Minerva’s lips curled downwards in distaste, Billy giving her a look, the elderly lady relenting with a dramatic huff, “Oh all right fine— I’ll drink the darn gunk if it’ll get you to stop making such a fuss. I swear, you’re beginning to nag me more than Tawny….” 

Billy smirked, standing up while replying, “Thanks aunty Min.”, in relief, just glad she was going to at least  **try** eating something, Tawny having made it clear she hadn’t even considered the notion for a day or so. 

“You’re welcome.” Minerva grumbled, begrudgingly grabbing the canned food as Billy and Thaddeus exited the tent, some of the soup spilling onto the tarp floor that the border collie gladly licked up. 

“How long has she been sick?” Thaddeus inquired, Billy zipping up the tent flap. 

Billy shrugged. “She was already sick when I first got here, so at least… I dunno’... twelve years now?” 

“Any idea as to what she has?” Thaddeus asked, noting Billy’s tone wasn’t quite as cheeky, the boy’s expression more or less blank. 

“A lot,” Billy answered bluntly, straightening up and crossing his arms, gaze averted towards the side. “Rheumatoid arthritis, rickets, COPD, Crohn's, anemia, and a bunch of other stuff like that.” 

Thaddeus quirked a brow. “Does she have medication for her condition?” 

Billy gave Thaddeus an annoyed look, not sure as to whether the older was being sarcastic or not. “It’s hard enough for us to buy stuff over the counter— no one here can afford prescriptions, and it’s not like she has a health plan.” 

“Social security?” Thaddeus prompted. 

“That’s pretty much impossible to get without a permanent address,” Billy stated, more than a little frustrated by the situation at hand. “And even if she could get social security, it wouldn’t do much good considering she got into some legal troubles awhile back, so she never really had a stable job with a sturdy retirement plan.” 

“Legal trouble?” Thaddeus further questioned. 

“Yeah,” Billy confirmed with a nod, brow furrowing somewhat stressed, hating the fact that he frankly felt like there wasn’t much he could do to help. “She got some theft charges or whatever when she was younger, and jobs kept dropping her whenever they found out she had a record.” 

A pause, Thaddeus considering something before muttering, “Is her condition degrading, or-” 

“Why would you care?” Billy snapped, Thaddeus arching a brow at the glare the boy gave him, the younger’s expression more skeptical and upset than angry. 

Frankly, Thaddeus didn’t particularly care one way or another, the man calmly admitting, “Just making conversation, I suppose.” The boy was obviously sensitive about the matter, and that could certainly prove to be useful for future schemes. 

Billy scoffed. “Oh so  **now** you wanna’ make conversation.” He didn’t see why  **this** had to be what they made conversation about. 

“I’d be more than glad to have peace and quiet and leave you to your own accord.” Thaddeus dryly stated, hoping that would do the trick in getting the boy to stop keeping such a close eye on him. 

Billy’s jaw clenched, getting close to being  **real** done with Thaddeus’ B.S. “I’m gonna’ go see if Tawny needs help with anything.” He coldly informed, turning his back towards the other. 

“Fine by me.” Thaddeus said so calmly it earned another glare, Billy more or less storming off. 

Finally— Thaddeus had a break from relentless pestering. 

Thaddeus set down his sleeping bag in the area Tawny had assigned him and Billy, putting a yard or so of distance between their resting areas, and- 

_ Find us _ . 

A dull twinge of pain spread through Thaddeus’ scarred eye, the throbbing ache lingering. 

If there was one thing the hero’s constant yapping was good for, it was keeping Thaddeus distracted from the Sins that were becoming even more impatient than he was. 

Thaddeus released a sharp exhale, setting his glasses off to the side against the sidewalk. The pads of his fingertips tentatively touched the roughened skin under his eye, causing him to wince and grit his teeth; his scar’s condition had been progressively worsening since the breakout… 

Rest. Thaddeus just needed some  **proper** rest— that was all… that should help. 

The sleeping bag wasn’t exactly a mattress, but it was better than nothing; it was relatively clean, it was something that could provide some warmth, and it was better than just laying directly on the cold hard concrete. 

Thaddeus certainly preferred a bed, but his lack of one most definitely didn’t stop him from almost instantly falling asleep, not waking until it was dark out; Thaddeus hadn’t realized how exhausted he’d been. Despite his nightmares regarding memories such as plummeting from a building with a certain Wizard’s Champion on the roof, Thaddeus rested well, more than used to dreams that typically weren’t all that pleasant. 

When Thaddeus awoke, he noticed something at the foot of his sleeping bag. He furrowed his brow, sitting up while putting on his glasses. Thaddeus’ head tilted at the sight of a pillow, and- 

“I already washed it,” Billy stated in a mumble, Thaddeus blinking and turning to look at the boy sitting criss-cross on his own newly washed sleeping bag. “I figured you’d want one.” He added with a shrug, eyes glued to a notebook he was scribbling in. 

“It won’t exactly do much good now.” Thaddeus dismissively commented, rubbing his sore neck. 

Billy’s pen paused— briefly. Then, the boy’s jaw visibly flexed, and he resumed his scrawling. “You’re gonna’ have to sleep again tomorrow,” Billy reminded vaguely annoyed. “But if you don’t want it, you can give it back to Tawny.” 

Thaddeus picked up the pillow, placing it behind him. “What time is it?” 

“Late.” Billy answered somewhat sarcastically, obviously preoccupied with whatever it was he was jotting down. 

Thaddeus pursed his lips. “Clearly.” When Billy didn’t bother retorting, Thaddeus muttered, “What are you working on?” 

“Why do you care?” Billy replied without missing a beat, that seeming to be his new favorite question, the tip of his pen pressing into the paper a bit harder. 

In a way, it seemed the tables had turned, Thaddeus being the one to receive a cold shoulder now. 

“A diary?” Thaddeus casually mocked. 

Billy’s pen began audibly scraping against the paper, his penmanship becoming rough and rushed, hand clenching the pen tightly enough to turn his knuckles white. “No.” He answered shortly, clearly irked, the amused Thaddeus standing up and deciding to no push the boy any further while he- “You’re welcome, by the way.” 

Thaddeus returned his attention to Billy. “Pardon?” 

“For getting you the pillow.” Billy coldly elaborated, pen practically flying against the lined pages. 

“I don’t recall saying thank you.” Thaddeus said oh so nonchalantly. 

Billy’s pen ripped through a small area in the paper, his hand coming to a halt, frown hardening. “Why are you such a jerk?” 

“Impressive way of phrasing your inquiry.” Thaddeus replied in dry sarcasm. 

Billy looked up at Thaddeus with a glare, setting down his notebook and pen somewhat harshly. “I don’t have to use a pretentious vocabulary to get across what I’m trying to say.” 

“And just what are you  **trying** to say?” Thaddeus calmly goaded. 

Billy thinned his lips, just glowering at Thaddeus for a moment before swiftly standing and marching right up to the other. “I’m saying you’re a bonafide prick who is  **way** too preoccupied with holding a grudge against me for something that I didn’t have  **any** say in to realize that I’m just trying to be nice here and  **help** you out even after the B.S. you put my family and me through. You’re so  **obsessed** with power that you don’t give a crap about noticing how the Sins are basically just using you as a host to get what  **they** want, and they’re setting you up against  **innocent people** along with anyone and everyone that might want to  **actually** help you just so they can make sure you won’t try to hold them back by getting all sentimental and behaving like a  **decent human being** . You  **keep** ranting about how the Wizard said you weren’t worthy, and you  **keep** insisting that the Wizard underestimated you, and you  **keep** proving the Wizard  **right** by behaving like an inconsiderate  **jerk** instead of at least  **trying** to refute the Wizard’s notion that you’re just an all-around bad guy.” 

Thaddeus felt like he’d done a lot of brow raising over the past day, his brow once again quirking, not expecting Billy to actually elaborate in  **that** much detail. “I wasn’t aware  _ refute _ was in your vocabulary bank.” 

Billy just stared at Thaddeus for a moment before letting out a short and annoyed laugh of disbelief that was more of a scoff than anything. “You  **literally** just proved my point! You just keep-” 

“Your point being?” Thaddeus interjected, half expecting Billy to speak  _ Shazam’s _ name right then and there with the look the boy was giving him. “Sorry,” Thaddeus quipped, tone lacking in sincerity as he uncaringly added, “It just seemed to be all over the place given how-” 

“My **point** ,” Billy interrupted right back. “Is that you can’t just **complain** and **monologue** and **sulk** about how no one helped you or wants to help you when you act like a **presumptuous** **reprobate** ; I might have _grovelled like a child_ or whatever when you were holding me by the throat thousands of feet in the air the first time we met, but at least I don’t act like some kind of schoolyard bully at age sixty.” 

“I’m not sixty,” Thaddeus stated unamused, unenthusiastically adding, “And congratulations on adding  _ reprobate _ to your word bank.”, as a further jab, causing Billy’s lips to thin in annoyance. “In any case, you’re more than welcome to cling to the notion of believing you’ll somehow achieve a pure soul through using the Wizard’s power to perform parlor tricks feigning as heroic acts throughout this city,” Thaddeus dismissively commented, because as far as he was concerned the only ones with allegedly  _ pure souls _ were children, and he frankly didn’t care as to whether or not this gullible  _ boy _ grew out of his naïve phase. “Although I can assure you that I have no interest in listening to the lectures of an idealistic  _ teenager _ with an authority problem.” 

“I don’t have an authority problem!” Billy immediately denied, prompting an unconvinced look from Thaddeus. “Okay, fine— maybe I do kinda’ have a little bit of an authority problem,” Billy quickly relented before Thaddeus could refute his denial. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t have a point.” 

“Your  _ point _ sounds like a rant at best.” Thaddeus replied without missing a beat. 

“My  _ point _ is that you obviously have  **way** too much of a superiority complex to even fathom wondering why the Sins are apparently the  **only** company that’s  **ever** gotten along with you.” Billy finally snapped, voice raising. 

Well now that wasn’t quite fair— Thaddeus hadn’t  **always** had a superiority complex. In fact, nowadays he made up for any confidence he’d severely lacked in his earlier years that had initially diminished from his father and brother’s constant belittling. It wasn’t as though Thaddeus had been bad from the start… he’d been as innocent as any other in the beginning, and for a period of time after. It wasn’t until later that something in Thaddeus began souring; one can only take so much before something’s bound to go awry one way or another. To Thaddeus’ credit, even with the many hardships he’d encountered, he had still been a decent enough human being for a while. 

Thaddeus hadn’t had a completely pure soul free of any taints, blemishes, or flaws when he’d first met the Wizard. Thaddeus had made what could be deemed as mistakes prior— he’d admittedly been envious of his older brother being favored so obviously, and rightfully angered by the treatment he received from his father, and perhaps there was greed involved when he’d get frustrated over his mother and grandparents giving all their attention to his twin sisters while acknowledging him at the bare minimum. Thaddeus hadn’t become particularly prideful until much later, although that was another story— at the time of meeting the Wizard, Thaddeus did not feel as though the vices he held were significant enough to define him. 

After all, Thaddeus had also held what he’d initially presumed was worthwhile merits at the time of meeting the Wizard; for the most part, he was quiet, respectful, attentive, hardworking, and poised. Or at least he’d tried to be, although there had truthfully been a number of times he’d been easily distracted from staying on task. Nonetheless, he made an effort to do what was expected of him as a Sivana despite an unsatisfied lack of acknowledgment. 

Unfortunately, the Wizard tended to be easily dissatisfied as well, and Thaddeus had been cast out almost as swiftly as he’d been welcomed in. The Wizard had been aware Thaddeus was a principled enough child despite the Wizard not actually acknowledging such aloud, although Thaddeus was not without fault, as was no child his age. The Wizard wanted something Thaddeus was not— something Thaddeus later learned didn’t exist… something the Wizard had searched for in vain before finally becoming desperate and settling on a boy that Thaddeus frankly didn’t feel was very noteworthy and was probably one of the most questionable choices the Wizard could have chosen. 

Billy decided to further convince Thaddeus that the Wizard had obviously made a mistake by making yet another irksome comment. 

“Maybe the Wizard would have chosen you if you weren’t such a standoffish douche.” Billy grumbled under his breath. 

“He wouldn’t have,” Thaddeus evenly stated surprisingly calmly without an ounce of uncertainty. “The old man was convinced I wasn’t applicable for the role of Champion even when I wasn’t particularly  _ standoffish _ .” 

Billy blinked at that, and Thaddeus frowned, not quite sure how to feel about the expression of what seemed to be recognition passing over the boy’s face, but certainly not liking the notion that the hero could in any way possibly relate to anything he had to say whatsoever. 

“I didn’t mean-” Billy frowned, arms crossing and gaze averting. “I was just-” He chewed on the inside of his cheek. “It’s not like…” Billy released a frustrated exhale. “Look… it’s alright if you wanna’ be all standoffish or whatever, and we don’t have to get along or anything like that— I get that I’m not exactly the kinda’ person that most people would ideally prefer to be around, and that’s fine.” Thaddeus arched a brow at that last part, Billy not meeting his gaze, the boy more than aware there wasn’t much that stood out about him when he was  **just Billy** and not Shazam. “I mean, I used to be pretty standoffish until my foster family and stuff. Like, super standoffish. I can  **still** be really standoffish, honestly.” Unfortunately, Thaddeus didn’t get to experience the luxury of Billy Batson being  _ standoffish _ towards him, the boy instead relentlessly pestering him. “So if you’re just the standoffish type, then that’s cool; it’s not like I can blame you without sounding like a hypocrite, and I don’t really care anyways,” It was becoming clear that Thaddeus wanted to keep their interactions at a bare minimum, and Billy was beginning to get to a point where he concurred with how difficult Thaddeus was being. “But you don’t have to be  **super rude** about being standoffish.” Billy reckoned being a little rude was fair enough, although Thaddeus was seriously pushing it. 

“You could stop hounding me with pointless small talk,” Thaddeus pointed out entirely seriously. “And then you wouldn’t have to make a fuss over any lack of consideration regarding yourself since the world  **clearly** revolves solely around you in these scenarios you’ve been getting so miffed over.” 

“That was rude.” Billy pointed out, more aggravated than angry at the sarcasm. 

“Says the unruly teenage delinquent.” Thaddeus casually retorted. 

Billy had had just about enough of this. “You know, you make it sound like you weren’t always completely awful, but it’s kinda’ hard to imagine you  **not** being a jerk.” 

“Try harder— I’m sure you’ll come up with something.” Thaddeus replied oh so casually. 

Billy quirked a brow, head tilting as he eyed over Thaddeus. “Was that supposed to be a joke?” 

Thaddeus returned the raised brow, calmly denying, “No.” 

Billy just stared at Thaddeus for a moment, looking him over broodingly, obviously contemplating something before eventually saying, “You’d probably be at least somewhat pleasant to hangout with if you’d just stick to the sarcastic quips and leave out the menacing insults, you know.” 

Thaddeus absolutely did  **not** want to be someone this nuisance felt was pleasant to associate with, frankly not knowing how to reply to that. “I reckon you’d likely be less irksome if you’d simply stop behaving so brazenly.” 

Billy frowned, looking more upset than angered, which was somehow worse to Thaddeus for whatever reason. “I  **have** been acting less cheeky,” Billy pointed out. “Or at least I’ve been  **trying** to tone it down since I realized it obviously kinda’ pisses you off and stuff when I’m cocky or whatever.” 

Thaddeus felt the corners of his lips tug downwards upon becoming aware of the fact the boy had actually been behaving at least somewhat less audaciously comparatively, not quite sure of what to make of that realization. 

Did Billy truly expect Thaddeus to suddenly just up and regard him kindly merely because the boy was being just a tad bit less childish than he could be? Thaddeus would have never gotten away with a thing like that— maturity should be expected. Why, if Thaddeus had ever used the excuse of only being somewhat badlynmannered rather than utterly badly mannered, his father would have… well, he would have done a number of things, frankly. 

Not that Thaddeus was comparing himself to his father in any manner whatsoever, of course— Thaddeus didn’t have the slightest desire to resemble his old man in one way or the other; as far as Thaddeus was concerned, they were not alike in any sense outside of sharing a surname. 

Thaddeus realized he wasn’t quite sure as to how exactly to handle… this rather perplexing situation that he’d really rather not be a part of at the moment, somehow feeling as though solving a genuine paradox would be easier. 

Thaddeus was probably just being too broody about this. 

Ultimately, Thaddeus chose to address the boy’s statement nonchalantly, not seeing any reason to make a fuss over it. 

“And I’m not being nearly as harsh as I could be.” Thaddeus evenly pointed out as though to counter Billy’s comment, Thaddeus’ bicker calm. 

Billy blinked at that, the boy actually seeming to consider Thaddeus’ statement. “Yeah…” Billy mumbled in acknowledgment with a nod and a shrug, giving Thaddeus an inquisitive look verging on intrigued. “Yeah— I guess you have kinda’ toned down the snideness, huh?” Billy finally agreed with what looked suspiciously akin to an ever so slight smile, his arms crossing. “So I guess we’ve both made some progress or whatever, at least.” Billy looked weary, but that was definitely a smile— even if it was vague and just a tad bit wary. 

No. Absolutely not. Thaddeus had most certainly not wanted his casual retort to be mistaken for actually getting along. 

“Minimal progress.” Thaddeus was quick to point out, highlighting the lack of any actual meaningfulness. 

Billy smirked, and oh no that wasn’t a good sign for Thaddeus. “Fair enough,” Billy mused, nonetheless adding, “It’s still progress, though.” 

No…  **no** . Thaddeus was  **not** bantering with this child, and he did  **not** want Billy Batson to banter back— not that Thaddeus was even actually bantering in the first place, the boy’s tendency to mistake his loathing for friendliness exceedingly irksome. 

“I’d hardly call it progress.” Thaddeus quickly corrected despite the damage having already been done. 

Billy’s smirk didn’t falter. “I mean, you not trying to murder me and stuff seems like progress, so-” 

“I didn’t try to murder you,” Thaddeus annoyedly reminded, because if he’d wanted Shazam dead then Shazam would be dead and that was that— the only reason the Sins had allowed the boy to live was in hopes they could gain a transfer of power, and the Wizard’s Champion was lucky he’d gotten an idea of how to defend himself somewhat rather than merely grovel. “And it’s not as though I’m able to do much in my current state in any case.” 

“You haven’t tried hurting anyone here,” Billy persisted, Thaddeus narrowing his eyes. “You haven’t tried to threaten me by going after anyone vulnerable like Sunny, aunty Min, or even the dog that you obviously don’t really like,” Billy shrugged and averted his gaze downwards, distracting himself by tugging at a stray string on his wool gloves. “So that’s kind of progress or whatever since you went after Freddy and the others the first chance you got and…” Billy trailed off, wondering if he should have brought that up. 

“I’ve only been here for a day, approximately.” Thaddeus replied almost instantly, not quite considering his words. 

Billy looked up, eyes narrowing. “What’s that supposed to mean?” 

“It means I haven’t had time to threaten much less bring harm upon anyone here, even if I wanted to.” Thaddeus evenly answered. 

Billy frowned, not quite sure of what to make of the statement given that last part. “So you  **don’t** want to hurt anyone here, then?” Oh peachy— Billy had once again cornered Thaddeus, the older not able to deny the boy’s inquiry without backpedaling, and if Thaddeus didn’t deny the inquiry then Billy would be under the assumption they were beginning to get along to an extent which was an absurd notion that Thaddeus absolutely did not want to encourage. “Except for, you know… me or whatever.” 

Somehow, Thaddeus hadn’t expected that last part, noting the boy was looking off to the side again, Thaddeus feeling the corners of his lips tug downwards in irritation at Billy’s frustrating tendency to make things exceedingly difficult. 

“The only people I initially had any desire to inflict harm on was my father and brother when I was making use of the Eye,” Thaddeus eventually informed after a moment, choosing his words carefully. “You were certainly a thorn in my side that I held little regard to, and I wanted to permanently stop you from being a potential hindrance one way or another no matter the method,” A pause, Thaddeus somewhat hesitantly continuing, “Although I did not particularly  **want** to  _ hurt _ you or your family out of malice,” Thaddeus frowned at the taken aback look Billy gave him, the older being sure to add, “That being said, I was willing to do whatever was necessary to ensure what was rightfully mine remained mine, regardless of however severe the consequences,” Thaddeus gave Billy a pointed look. “And that hasn’t changed by any means.” 

Billy was a pest that Thaddeus would rather be rid of, but that didn’t mean he  **wanted** to kill a foster child— Thaddeus was most certainly a villain by every definition, but he wasn’t  **completely** awful in the sense that he actively sought to target adolescents that had been down on their luck… even if they were irksomely brazen. Ultimately, Thaddeus could settle for Billy simply losing the power the Wizard had granted him rather than being killed off one way or another, but either way the boy would no longer be worth Thaddeus’ time. Frankly, Thaddeus just wanted Billy to stop getting in his way, and he could care less as to how that was achieved when it came to severity. 

Billy… didn’t  **quite** know what to say to that— on one hand, Thaddeus had just essentially revealed he didn’t actually  _ want _ to fight him even if he did find his cheeky antics  **really** annoying. On the other hand, however, Thaddeus had also made it clear he was willing to use any means possible to regain the power Billy had taken from him, which was honestly kind of concerning, to say the least. 

“You had the Sins,” Billy spoke up after a moment, Thaddeus looking at him despite the boy not meeting his gaze. “Why couldn’t you just keep them and leave me alone?” 

Thaddeus felt as though the answer really should be obvious. “You were a potential threat.” 

“Yeah, well you said I was a  _ coward _ ,” Billy reminded somewhat sourly. “So I don’t see why you couldn’t just let me  **be** a coward and run away instead of cornering me until I fought back.” 

Thaddeus didn’t see what the Wizard had seen as so worthy in this boy— the child was practically the opposite of hero material; he wasn’t noble, or brave, or valiant until he had no other choice but to be such, even going as far as to admit he would have preferred running away from a fight rather than towards it. The Wizard’s long-awaited decision to finally deem  **someone** as his Champion was… a perplexing choice given how this  _ someone _ was a teenage delinquent. 

“I’d assumed you’d be a bit more heroically confrontational,” Thaddeus bluntly admitted. “And less reluctant to fight a worthy battle,” A pause. “And I expected an adult— not a fourteen-year-old.” 

“I’m fifteen, now,” Billy defended in a grumble. “And you could have just let me go when realizing I wasn’t interested in actually having an arch-nemesis or whatever.” 

“I reckoned you could grow out of that and decide to do something worthwhile with your abilities.” Thaddeus evenly replied. 

Billy shrugged, fiddling with his shoelaces. “I would have been fine with just doing small hero-stuff. Like stopping muggings, convenience store robberies, and runaway buses and stuff,” He sounded tired, Thaddeus wondering if the boy usually stayed up this late, or if he’d just had a long day as well. “It’s not like I signed up for this  _ chosen-one-crap _ ; I never really saw anything ideal about the kind of super stressful stuff Batman and Superman and every other superhero have to deal with on a basically daily basis. I mean, sure— being a superhero sounds cool in theory, I guess, but having a ton of responsibility that involves some serious urgent matters you have to keep in check isn’t exactly something I wanted thrust onto me when I wasn’t even responsible enough to stay in school instead of ditching.” Billy emitted a heavy exhale, laying back on his sleeping bag. “The powers are cool and all, but the tedious stuff that comes with them can be kinda’ crummy when you’re trying to focus on, you know,  **normal** teenager things, and it’s not like I can just let someone else take over for a while since I’m not about to make Freddy and the others deal with something they didn’t really ask for either.” Billy stared up at the dim moon shrouded by storm clouds. “There’s just…  **a lot** of pressure to not suck at being a superhero when everyone’s watching your every move.” 

Thaddeus tilted his head before somewhat smugly musing, “You didn’t consider any of that before accepting the Wizard’s offer, did you?” He reckoned such immense power simply wasn’t befitting to such undeserving people— particularly children who could hardly handle an ounce of responsibility. 

“I didn’t really have a choice,” Billy informed in annoyance. “And even if I had felt like I actually had a say, I wasn’t exactly given a whole lot of time, either.” 

Thaddeus quirked a brow. “I take it your encounter with the Wizard wasn’t particularly pleasant?” 

“It was probably about as pleasant as yours had been,” Billy confirmed with a scoff. “I barely understood what he was talking about when he sorta’ kidnapped me from my train ride, and then he pretty much just disappeared in a  **really** horrific kinda’ way after sending me off looking like a thirty-year-old without bothering to explain how to turn back to normal. Like, if I hadn’t remembered the S-h-a-z-a-m name he’d made me say then I’d probably be stuck looking like some old dude in red spandex since there’s literally not even a zipper on the suit that somehow just comes and goes with the catchphrase, so I guess physics doesn’t really apply to magic.” 

“You seem to have it figured out well enough now.” Thaddeus commented in a way that was meant to be dismissive towards Billy’s complaining. 

Billy mistook the comment as a compliment, a taken aback expression meeting his face. “I mean… yeah— I guess I’ve pretty much gotten the hero part down by now,” He smiled ever so slightly, Thaddeus not returning the smile, because that  **hadn’t** been a compliment. “But I was just super freaked out at first.” Billy let out a somewhat embarrassed chuckle, Thaddeus rolling his eyes, because this child was getting much too familiar with- “Honestly? When you first showed up I was kinda’ hoping you were supposed to be my mentor and stuff.” 

“ **What** ?” Thaddeus questioned, not quite sure he’d heard that right. 

“I mean, I assumed you were with the Wizard or something since you both had that  **magic-vibe** or whatever with the, uh, Eye thingy making you look all mystical,” Billy clarified, Thaddeus just staring at him. “And at the time it made sense that the floating dude calling me Champion was probably the guy that was going to teach me how to fly and stuff since I definitely didn’t know how to do that when we first met, and the possibility of flying being something I could do seemed pretty cool, so I was kinda’ hyped and totally ready to be the apprentice and stuff like in the movies,” Billy sounded amused more than anything, smirking as he spoke. “And then you demanded that I give you all my powers and sucker-punched me, so that made it pretty obvious I was apparently just going to have to figure this stuff out on my own.” Billy’s grin fell, his expression no longer quite as entertained. “Which is fine— I obviously don’t do the best with authority anyways, and I have a handle on this whole superhero thing now,” Billy cleared his throat, realizing Thaddeus wasn’t commenting on anything he said whatsoever, awkwardly reaffirming with a shrug, “So, uh… yeah— it’s whatever.”, as casually as possible. 

Thaddeus found that he didn’t know how to reply to a lot of the things Billy said, the older man ultimately going with a simple, “I see.”, not quite sure as to how else to acknowledge the unexpected explanation. 

Somehow, the short reply seemed worse to Billy than no reply, the boy shrinking down into his sleeping bag while wondering why he’d even bothered bringing that up, already regretting his attempt at furthering their conversation and- 

A digital watch lying next to Billy began beeping, the boy grabbing the tiny device and turning it off with the push of a button. “It’s almost time for Uncle Eb to leave for work— I’m gonna’ go ahead and sneak back into the apartment to get some stuff I left behind. I have work in a bit, too, so it’ll probably be a while before I get back,” Billy adjusted his jacket as he stood, the wind picking up. “You can ask Tawny for something to read if you get bored; he has a bunch of magazines and newspapers and stuff,” Wait, it was in the early morning already? Thaddeus hadn’t realized he’d slept  **that** long. “I’ll probably be back around noon.” Billy informed, turning to leave yet halting after only a few steps, broodingly looking over his shoulder and pausing before somewhat hesitantly saying, “And sorry for, uh, snapping at you,” He swallowed thickly, throat clearing, “I was just kinda’ stressed about…” Billy trailed off, giving a shrug. “... stuff.” 

Thaddeus frowned, not knowing why the boy that was unruly for the most part felt the need to constantly apologize for being peevish when Thaddeus wasn’t precisely putting much effort into being particularly pleasant— despite Billy’s tendency to brazenly cause trouble and ensure he maintained the title of a delinquent, he still had a certain naïve kind of quality that was somewhat baffling. At least,  _ naïve _ was the closest word Thaddeus could come up with in regard to Billy’s  **somewhat** respectful moments, because he wasn’t sure as to what else to call it; Thaddeus had undoubtedly caused quite a bit of trouble for the teenager, and for whatever reason Billy seemed inclined to dismiss that and move on. 

Perhaps Thaddeus found it so perplexing because he, for one, wasn’t overly familiar with  _ moving on _ . Thaddeus also wasn’t very familiar with the notion of basic human decency, that being something his family had neglected to offer. 

“All right.” Thaddeus acknowledged after a brief pause, certainly not about to assure Billy there was no need for an apology because Thaddeus was not one to reassure Shazam of anything. Nonetheless, Thaddeus also chose not to ignore or dismiss the statement altogether— mostly because he didn’t want to let on that he frankly didn’t know how to react to many of the boy’s strangely forgiving antics. 

Billy offered a somewhat awkward smile that was just a bit forced, but there was an extent of sincerity to it, relieved Thaddeus refrained from making a snide retort given how Billy  **really** wanted to start this day on a good note considering he hadn’t had very many good days lately. “Oh, uh, would you mind returning the watch to Tawny when he wakes up?” Billy requested, pointing towards the device lying next to his sleeping bag. “He let me borrow it for an alarm.” An alarm Billy hadn’t ended up using considering he hadn’t been able to sleep and pretty much just stayed up all night. 

Thaddeus didn’t particularly want to do any favors for what was essentially his arch-nemesis, but it wasn’t as though it would actually be of any inconvenience. “If I run into him I’ll let him know where you left it.” 

“... Okay…” Billy just stared at Thaddeus for a moment. “... thanks?” Well, it wasn’t  _ no _ , and that was…  **something** at least. “I guess?” Billy decided it was better than nothing— he’d honestly expected Thaddeus to offer a colder reply. 

Thaddeus nodded, Billy trying to be friendly by offering another slight smile that Thaddeus didn’t bother even considering returning, the boy turning and walking off. 

Thaddeus’ attention turned towards an ongoing burn barrel, noting it was somewhat chillier tonight, and it was probably going to rain soon from the looks of it. Thaddeus emitted a weary exhale as he stood, adjusting his coat and checking the underpass’ ledge above him, noting there was a bit of cover to keep his sleeping bag dry, yet not sure as to how much use that slab of cover would provide in actuality. Thaddeus crossed his arms, wondering how close sunrise was as he approached the source of fire and- 

A series of choked coughs and shaky wheezes filled the air, Thaddeus coming to a halt and glancing at the nearby tent belonging to Minerva, the sound of dry heaving and fatigued inhales and exhales clearly coming from there. 

The corners of Thaddeus’ lips tugged downwards as he glanced at the burn barrel before returning his gaze to the tent, frown deepening as the woman emitted words of frustration through groans bordering on sobs. 

Billy wasn’t here to comfort poor Minerva right now, unfortunately, and Thaddeus really did see that as a rather unfortunate thing— he truly did… but this woman was not his responsibility, and he had no intention of getting to familial with anyone here. Besides, Billy had mentioned Minerva had been dealing with this for a while, so she should be able to cope just fine without someone there to look out for her. In fact, Thaddeus wasn’t even sure he knew how to help ease someone in such a state, because he was not exactly the soothing type; this was no business of his. 

Thaddeus continued on his way towards the burn barrel, relieved the coughs became too distant to hear as he warmed himself by the fire, trying to not breathe in too much of the smoke. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The three Easter Egg characters I really wanted to introduce have finally made they’re debut (plus one cinema border collie, of course, because who doesn’t love a dog in a story?) so can you guys guess what revered Shazam character(‘s) supposed to have a significant role in the next planned out chapter?  
> ;)  
> Extra bonus points to anyone who actually recognized the Easter Egg characters  
> ;D


	10. A Curious Kind of Calmness

“So I know it’s a little early,” Billy said in such a cheeky voice that Thaddeus absolutely did not want to look up to see whatever the audacious boy was up to. “But I figured this stuff couldn’t really wait,” He continued, standing directly in front of Thaddeus, the older dismissively continuing to read the magazine Tawny had lent him, dread seeping in as he wondered what the brazen little pest was up to now. “So Merry-Early-Christmas or whatever.” 

Begrudgingly, Thaddeus looked up, somewhat wary of the trash bag Billy was holding out oh so proudly. “Garbage?” Thaddeus commented, the boy wearing a much too suspicious uppity grin for this to somehow **not** be a teenager’s poor attempt at a prank. 

“No,” Billy huffed. “It’s not garbage,” He dropped the **clean** trash bag in front of Thaddeus, earning a skeptical look. “It’s just necessities and stuff.” He informed while kneeling down, taking off his backpack and setting it in front of him. 

Thaddeus eyed over the trashbag as Billy unzipped his backpack, the older man pausing for a moment before setting his magazine off to the side, opening the bag in question as Billy dug through his backpack, and oh- 

Oh. There was actually quite a bit in there that Thaddeus was more than glad to see. 

“I stole the clothes I’ve never really seen uncle Eb wear; I’m pretty sure all the stuff should fit fine— even if he is a little lanky,” Billy said while taking a styrofoam box out of his backpack. “Oh, and I got some money by letting people take pictures with me as _Shaz_ for tips, so I got toothpaste and stuff, too.” Billy held out the takeout box. “Here.” Thaddeus looked up from the bag of clothing, toiletries, and essentials. “My boss’ wife was working today, and she always makes a ton of extra food on purpose whenever I’m working so she can insist I take some home instead of wasting it.” 

“You’re in a good mood.” Thaddeus commented, taking the offered food, noting this container was much heavier than the previous. 

“I raided my jerk-face uncle’s place without getting caught,” Billy casually remarked with a smirk and nonchalant shrug, pulling out his own takeout box. “So yeah— I’m in a pretty good mood.” Thaddeus opened his own takeout box, barely having time to even glance at the food before Billy added, “I had the eggs cooked over-easy this time and got some toast instead of pancakes.” 

Thaddeus hadn’t actually expected Billy to remember a detail as minor as him preferring over-easy eggs and disliking pancakes. Heck, not even Thaddeus’ own mother knew how he liked his eggs, although to be fair she didn’t know much about him in general. Thaddeus was not at all used to the notion of someone actually taking note of such trivial things, and once again he wasn’t quite sure as to how to essentially react. He assumed a word of thanks would probably be in order in most cases, but he didn’t particularly want to show any form of gratitude towards the Wizard’s Champion; Billy was getting a little too comfortable with hanging around him, and Thaddeus didn’t want to encourage that— they weren’t friends. In fact, they’d probably be back at each other’s throats the moment Thaddeus found a way to regain the Eye of Sin. 

Ultimately, Thaddeus tried to divert the conversation towards Billy instead of himself. “Is that your typical breakfast?” He inquired in a tone best described as judgemental, referring to Billy’s own takeout box consisting of chocolate chip waffles drenched in blueberry syrup, hash browns, scrambled eggs with cheese, and ham glazed in brown sugar. 

“I mean, I’d **prefer** it to be my typical breakfast,” Billy said while handing Thaddeus plastic cutlery, the older frankly not knowing how one boy could consume so much sugar and fried sodium piled high, his plate practically a heaping of unhealthy junk. “But no— usually I just eat a granola bar or something since my uncle always grumbles about having another mouth to feed.” 

“You haven’t said a single good thing about that uncle of yours,” Thaddeus observed with a raised brow. “Did he take you in out of some misguided sense of obligation?” 

“Maybe,” Billy mumbled with a shrug, staring down at his plate and moving around some of the scrambled eggs with his fork, but not actually scooping up any. “It was kind of cool at first— when he showed up and said he was my dad’s brother and all that. Like, I hadn’t realized I had an uncle since I don’t know a lot about my mom, and know even less about my dad and stuff,” Billy frowned, finding he wasn’t very hungry anymore. “And when uncle Eb said he wanted to adopt me, it was… nice or whatever to feel like I had a relative that was actually interested in me being a part of the family, I guess,” Billy set the plate off to the side, gaze still averted. “But then he got super businessy when I said I wanted to stay with the Vasquez’s even though they’d agreed to give him visitation rights if I ever wanted to go to his place over weekends, and he started talking about how blood relatives have first rights or some B.S. like that, and the next thing we knew he was getting a lawyer involved with my social care worker, and everything just started going downhill really, **really** fast.” Billy wasn’t nearly as uppity anymore. “Things started getting expensive with all the court stuff, and it became pretty obvious Victor and Rosa were having trouble with the finances even though they acted like they had everything under control, so I ended up just requesting to go with him in court.” 

It was certainly a strange case from the sounds of it, Thaddeus wondering if Billy was leaving something out. “Was he at least somewhat pleasant when you first moved in with him?” 

“Not really,” Billy mumbled, rubbing his upper arm. “He began acting like a real jerk as soon as the lawyers and stuff got involved, and he’s just gotten snappier over time.” Billy glanced at Thaddeus before averting his gaze again, joking with a laugh that didn’t sound very much like a laugh, “Honestly? Compared to him, you seem cheerful.” 

Thaddeus arched a brow at the jest that sounded like there was possibly a bit more to which Billy was essentially tiptoeing around. “Is that so?” 

Billy nodded, swallowing thickly. “I mean, it’s fine that you hate me or whatever, I guess. Like, I don’t have to be Freddy to get that villains are supposed to hate the hero, so you being a little standoffish is something I kinda’ expect. Plus, I know I can be a little too, uh, _brazen_ or however you wanna’ put it sometimes, which I get can be annoying,” Billy paused, hesitating before adding even more hesitantly, “But he’s my uncle, so he’s supposed to at least kind of… I dunno’... be a little fond of me or something? Even if I can be a handful sometimes he’s still supposed to, you know, not act like he utterly despises me. Getting a little fed up with me would be fine, but he constantly makes it seem like he can’t really stand me at all, which kinda’ sucks considering he pretty much has me on lockdown doing a bunch of errands and crap whenever I’m not hiding out here or somewhere else.” Billy chewed on the inside of his cheek, quietly continuing in a mumble, “At least you kind of tolerate me even though you obviously don’t want to— uncle Eb is just… obnoxiously hostile.” 

Thaddeus paused, eyeing Billy over for a moment before calmly setting the toast back in the takeout box, placing the container beside him while inquiring in an even tone, “Hostile?” 

Billy immediately backtracked. “That wasn’t the right word,” He quickly assured, finally meeting Thaddeus’ stare, the older’s head tilting. “I shouldn’t have said _hostile_ — I didn’t mean it like…” Billy trailed off, Thaddeus raising a brow. “He’s never actually, you know, hit me or anything serious like that, so-” 

“I didn’t ask if he had.” Thaddeus said, still calm. 

“I know,” Billy replied exasperated, and maybe a little frustrated. “But you made it sound like-” He was having trouble putting what he wanted to say into words, speaking much too quickly, almost sounding like Freddy. “-like you were implying…” Billy was better at getting across what he wanted to say in writing than verbally. 

Thaddeus raised a brow. “Implying what?” 

Billy released an aggravated exhale, already regretting allowing the conversation to steer in this direction, just wanting to have one good day where something didn’t sour it. “Look, I just meant that he talks like a bonafide douchebag a lot, but that’s all he does because he’s all talk and no bite, okay?” 

“A burn on the arm seems like a bit more than talking.” Thaddeus commented, although not in a sarcastic kind of way surprisingly enough, still coming off as more calm than anything, actually. 

“It was an accident,” Billy reminded in annoyance, not seeing why Thaddeus wouldn’t just allow this conversation to drop considering the older generally preferred ignoring him anyway. “I already told you that.” 

“You did,” Thaddeus affirmed with a nod, a brief pause going by before he oh so calmly added, “Although I’d assume he was aware of the risks of getting a bit pushy in the kitchen with something cooking on the stovetop.” 

Billy preferred Thaddeus’ snideness to this uncannily consistent calmness. “It’s not even that bad,” Billy snapped, pulling up his sleeve to prove a point despite wincing given how the burn was still somewhat sensitive even after two days. “And he’s never done this kind of stuff on purpose, so-” 

“There have been other accidents, then?” Thaddeus questioned, brow quirking yet again. 

Billy didn’t particularly like feeling as though he was being interrogated. “Look— he sucks… he **definitely** sucks **a lot** , honestly, and I really can’t stand him, and I seriously don’t want to live with him,” A pause, Billy once again looking off to the side. “But I’ve had foster families who were **way** worse than him, and he’s my **uncle** , and the stove thing was an **accident** , so I might complain a little about him being a prick and stuff, but it’s not actually **serious** or whatever, all right? So just… lay off.” 

Billy **immediately** regretted telling Thaddeus to lay off, realizing he’d probably just taken any minuscule progress they’d made and chucked it out the- 

“It won’t scar.” Thaddeus spoke up, just as calmly and not at all annoyedly surprisingly enough. 

Billy blinked, hesitantly looking up at Thaddeus. “What?” 

“You asked me in the laundromat if your burn would scar,” Thaddeus continued to calmly explain. “It doesn’t look as though it’ll scar— the mark should be gone within two weeks or so.” 

“Oh.” It was Billy’s turn to be perplexed. “Uh, okay?” Billy tugged his sleeve back over the burn mark. “Thanks?” A question came to Billy’s mind, although he paused, contemplating on whether or not he should ask it, and ultimately deciding he’d just gotten away with saying one thing he’d worried he’d regret today, so why not go for another potentially destructive comment? “You **are** familiar with burn marks and stuff, then?” 

Thaddeus inclined his chin and straightened up, nonetheless sounding just as calm as he said after a beat, “Somewhat.” 

Ever so hesitantly, Billy pushed his luck, because he could certainly be a bit impulsive at times when it came to being intrigued— maybe not quite as impulsive as Freddy, but still impulsive. “So… you didn’t exactly have the best home life either when you were my age or whatever…” Billy brought up, as though it wasn’t obvious and Thaddeus somehow wouldn’t be aware of that. “Does that mean you, uh, had… accidents and… stuff like that… happen, too?” 

For a moment, Thaddeus just stared at Billy, obviously considering his words **very** carefully, Billy realizing this could be a bit too heavy for a conversation when it was only the second day of their truce and- 

“There were occasional accidents, initially,” Thaddeus finally confirmed, calmly. “Amongst other things later on that were somewhat more frequent.” 

“Oh,” Billy mumbled, and somehow it was a lot harder to be outgoing and direct when Thaddeus was just simply speaking to him instead of goading at him. “Okay,” Billy didn’t know what to say to that, and suddenly he felt like he was back to being the way he’d been before he’d met the Vasquez family— he felt like he might say the wrong thing, so he should probably just be quiet. “Uh… sorry… to hear that… and all…” Yeesh, Billy **had** to come up with something better than **that**. “I got a fractured wrist from one of my first foster homes.” He blurted out, wanting to facepalm himself as Thaddeus arched a brow. “Sorry,” Billy immediately apologized in embarrassment. “I was just-” Just trying to offer something personal back since he was pretty sure Thaddeus probably hadn’t been keen on telling him that, not wanting to put all the pressure on the older without being a little vulnerable in return. “Just- you know… like saying that I get it or whatever if that makes sense, I guess? Sorry-” 

“No need to apologize.” Thaddeus interrupted, but not quite unkindly, maintaining an even tone, not quite emotionless or monotone but definitely… well, calm. 

Billy resisted the urge to apologize for apologizing, just giving a nod, once again avoiding eye contact per usual. “Okay.” He had enough trouble being serious much less honest about this kind of crap with Freddy— briefly letting his guard down around his arch-nemesis was definitely… a little intimidating regardless of how calmly Thaddeus was reacting. Plus, the whole calm thing just put the boy more on edge, because he wasn’t used to Thaddeus **not** being a snide jerk. Billy was also well aware of how he had a tendency to easily push people's buttons, a bit suspicious of how Thaddeus had gone almost five minutes without snapping at him for being a pest. 

Thaddeus noted Billy was becoming somewhat fidgety, the finicky boy toying with a stray string on his wool gloves and looking literally everywhere other than at Thaddeus, the older considering something for a moment before saying after a slightly hesitant pause, “What exactly do you do at the diner in any case?” 

Billy blinked, not expecting the allegedly conversational question, used to being the one having to start all the talks. “I mostly take people’s orders and help keep the place clean,” Billy answered, looking at Thaddeus in attempts to determine if this was supposed to be some kind of jab that he wasn’t getting, although Thaddeus’ expression didn’t look particularly smug. “Sometimes the boss’ wife will let me cook when she’s in charge and he’s not there, though,” Thaddeus wasn’t exactly smiling or anything even vaguely along the lines of that, but he wasn’t frowning either at the very least. “I got to cook the bacon today, actually.” Billy wondered if Thaddeus would regret asking him a question if he talked too much, but it wasn’t as though he was rambling a hundred miles a second like Freddy tended to. “Are you good with bacon? I could make ham or sausage patties next time if you prefer something like that or whatever.” 

Thaddeus shook his head and stood while dismissing, “The bacon was decent enough.” Oh so casually, he added, “Is there a place you usually go to get water here?” 

Wait, _decent enough_ ? That **almost** kind of sounded like a compliment, and Thaddeus was simply acting like he hadn’t just said it. 

Thaddeus raised a brow when Billy went about five or so seconds without answering, the boy blinking upon realizing he’d essentially just been giving Thaddeus a baffled stare before quickly saying, “Oh, uh, yeah— yeah. There’s a water fountain just over there,” He answered, pointing across the street before reaching for the trash bag of commodities. “I swiped two hydro-flasks from uncle Eb’s place, too,” He informed, digging through the bag. “Here.” Billy prompted, holding out a stainless steel container. 

Thaddeus took the black and silver water bottle, noting it looked like one of the more costly brands. “Running away already made him rather displeased— should you really be further testing your limits by stealing a number of items from him? And expensive items, at that?” 

“Most of the stuff in there’s pretty cheap,” Billy brushed off. “And it’s not like he doesn’t already hate me anyway.” Billy tried to say that last part like it was a joke, but it came off more seriously than he would have liked. 

“That doesn’t mean you don’t need to be provoking him any further than necessary,” Thaddeus said, almost sounding as though he was scolding Billy despite his tone remaining calm. “Running away could be consequential enough if he ends up locating you. Stealing his property-” 

“He won’t find me,” Billy interjected, sounding just a bit too sure for his own good. “And he pretty much took any chance I had at staying with a family I actually liked for once, so I could really care less about him getting huffy over some missing clothing and water bottles when he barely bothered to provide basic crap like edible food while I was living with him.” 

Billy knew he probably shouldn’t potentially start an argument when Thaddeus was actually not being a complete jerk for once, but Billy was becoming miffed by how Thaddeus was acting as though he knew best when Billy was the one used to living on the streets and escaping from bad home situations— not Thaddeus. Billy was the one taking the risks here to try and make living along the underpass a little more comfortable, and Thaddeus wasn’t acknowledging that. Billy didn’t need to explain himself to someone pretentiously acting as though they knew anything about **his** situation and knew better and knew more and- 

“I wasn’t lecturing you on the ethics of robbing a less than pleasant relative,” Thaddeus explained, still calmly rather than matter-of-factly. “I was simply saying that you should consider the potential consequences that could come with being caught given how that isn’t an impossible outcome,” He gave Billy a pointed look. “I could care less about you stealing from your uncle, although it’s worth keeping in mind that this could just be adding fuel to the fire in the case that he does find you.” 

Billy’s twinge of annoyance snuffed out at that, curiosity arising at the peculiar little way Thaddeus phrased that last part. “So you could care less about me stealing from him, but you’re making a big deal out of what might happen after he finds me… because he’d probably be pretty pissed off about the whole stealing-thing on top of running away,” Billy paused, Thaddeus’ expression immediately hardening upon realizing what the boy was getting at, Thaddeus narrowing his eyes as though to dare the boy to just try going through with saying what it sounded like he was hinting and- “So does that mean you actually care about what happens to me or somethi-” 

“Absolutely not.” Thaddeus scoffed before Billy could even finish his sentence, the older man’s calm patience dispersing completely, the very notion Billy had oh so brazenly voiced being prosperously infuriating. 

Billy smirked— **there** was the miffed Thaddeus he was used to. “I mean, it sort of sounds like you kinda’ do,” Thaddeus gave him a thoroughly unamused look. “You know, just a little.” 

“Hardly.” Thaddeus effortlessly denied in an irked voice with a stone-cold expression, already regretting attempting to give the ballsy boy any word of advice, not knowing why he’d even bothered. 

Cheeky as ever, Billy chided, “You sure? Because you seemed **really** insistent about trying to convince me to not get myself into **too** much trouble.” 

Thaddeus rolled his eyes annoyedly, head shaking in disdain, not seeing why Billy felt the need to always behave so difficulty. “I simply don’t want to deal with any consequences you prompt,” He stated dryly. “Considering I apparently have to wear his stolen clothing.” 

Billy’s expression actually fell at that— just a tiny bit, but noticeably enough. “Oh.” He’d actually kind of hoped they were maybe just getting along for once. “Okay…” Thaddeus had seemed really calm and patient just a little while ago, but maybe Billy had misinterpreted that or something. “Yeah, uh, sure— that makes sense, I guess.” Billy had been under the impression Thaddeus was possibly trying to be somewhat decent after noticing what Billy had said about his uncle, because Thaddeus was a bad guy, but Billy felt like he might not be **completely** awful. “I mean, I could try to get some more tips as _Shaz-and-zam_ to buy you some clothes instead or something if you’re worried about this coming back around on you; there’s a thrift store closeby.” Of course Thaddeus was just looking out for himself— Billy should have known that. 

Thaddeus noticed the way the boy suddenly averted his gaze, the older inclining his chin and tilting his head at that, a brief silence falling. 

“No,” Thaddeus eventually said after a moment of consideration, rejecting the offer and earning a questioning look. “I’m not particularly concerned about potentially being confronted by your uncle,” Wait, what? He wasn’t? “The clothing you brought should work well enough.” 

The puzzled Billy gave Thaddeus a somewhat exasperated stare. “You’re not actually worried about possibly having to deal with him?” He asked just to make sure he’d heard that right, earning a nod of confirmation. “So you **are** worried about **me** having to possibly deal with him, then?” 

Thaddeus simply raised a brow. “I believe I already denied that.” 

Oh great, he was doing the _calm_ thing again, and he almost looked amused at how Billy evidently didn’t know what to make of that. 

“Well you’re obviously lying about one of those things.” Billy pointed out, arms crossing. 

“Am I now?” Thaddeus evenly challenged, head tilting, Billy second-guessing himself and wondering if that was supposed to be some kind of trick question. “You seem rather stuck on this topic.” 

“Because now I can’t tell if you still utterly hate me.” Billy defensively huffed. 

“I’m not quite sure _hate_ is the right word.” Thaddeus commented, purposefully vague, more than entertained by the boy’s frustrated attempts to figure out what Thaddeus was alluding to. 

“Strongly dislike?” Billy impatiently guessed with a shrug. 

At this point, Thaddeus was mostly just keeping this up to be difficult, which was only fair given how difficult Billy could be. “Is there a reason you’re so invested in finding out to what degree I tolerate you?” 

“Oh gee I dunno’, maybe I just don’t wanna’ cross the line and risk you trying to _drown me_.” Billy sarcastically drawled, still holding a bit of a grudge about that. 

“You’ve already pushed your luck substantially.” Thaddeus casually reminded with a shrug. 

“So why were you **just** trying to give me advice like you were sort of looking out for me or whatever?” Billy interrogated, genuinely just wanting to know if Thaddeus was actually returning the notion of basic human decency for once, because if Billy had made even an ounce of progress with a bonafide villain… well he personally felt like that was pretty successful given how it had only been two days, and he generally liked to have some kind of idea as to where he stood with people. 

“ **Was** that what I was doing?” Thaddeus calmly questioned right back rather sure of himself, making Billy second guess himself yet again, because maybe that wasn’t what Thaddeus had been doing. 

“I don’t know— were you?” Billy replied just a bit snappily, wondering if that had even been actual advice at this point or just mere comments that didn’t hold any kind of significance after all. 

A vague smirk tugged at Thaddeus’ lips, his shoulders merely quirking upwards in a shrug. “I’m going to go get that water now.” 

Thaddeus began walking away, a miffed Billy stating, “I’m going to assume that means you don’t **completely** despise me.” 

“You tend to make quite a few assumptions, don’t you?” Thaddeus goaded without missing a beat. 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Billy called back, frowning as Thaddeus just continued walking away without further comment. 

What a jerk. Not quite as much a jerk as usual, but still kind of a jerk. 

As amusing as Thaddeus found Billy’s frustrations regarding the advice he’d given the boy, Thaddeus ultimately knew he probably wouldn’t have even considered giving any manner of advice to the pesky boy **if** Billy had brought up… well, anything other than what he had. Thaddeus was not fond of Billy in the least, he had no desire to be on good terms with the boy whatsoever, and the Wizard’s Champion was no more than a hindrance to be disregarded. 

That being said, Thaddeus was not a cruel man. Then again, perhaps Thaddeus **could** be considered cruel in some ways, but there were lines even he wasn’t interested in crossing. Many would understandably perceive Thaddeus as stonecold, callous, and unrelenting, although he wasn’t quite vile. 

Battling the Wizard’s Champion when he was at his full potential in pursuit of power was one thing— taking a child from his home by force and barely providing the bare necessities while essentially showing complete disdain for the child in question was another thing entirely. Nonetheless, as unfortunate as such a thing was… well, it was something Thaddeus could ignore easily enough, because he had little to no investment in anyone, much less the cocky boy that had taken everything from him right after Thaddeus’ extensive hard work had finally paid off only to be ruined by some meddlesome do-gooder. 

However, a boy talking about his uncle accidentally causing an injury in regard to a burn was another thing, too. It became even more of _another thing_ when that boy let it slip that other _accidents_ had apparently happened as well. It was another thing regardless of whether the boy in question was an acquaintance, complete stranger, or arch-nemesis. It was supposedly a rather serious thing, potentially. 

Make no mistake— such a serious thing had **not** equated to being a thing which caused Thaddeus to suddenly care even the slightest for the boy or arch-nemesis or whatever you may want to call Billy Batson. It did not result in Thaddeus immediately having a soft spot for the boy, or abruptly feeling guilt for troubling the boy, or spontaneously wanting to make up for any of the awful things he’d put the boy and his family through. By no means whatsoever did Thaddeus want to automatically befriend the boy that was frankly still his enemy that he still planned to out-best and still couldn’t quite stand the cheekiness of. 

Although that is not to say that Thaddeus simply dismissed what Billy had told him in regard to that uncle of his. Thaddeus could often be cold, and standoffish, and dismissive, and even uncaring. Thaddeus could be awful as many humans can be, but he could also be not so awful because Thaddeus Sivana wasn’t quite entirely awful. 

After all, Thaddeus was more than aware of how awful a bad family situation could be, and so perhaps there was a bit of familiarity there when it came to Billy dismissively insisting the burn mark he’d received was okay since it had been an accident that hadn’t been his uncle’s fault— not that Thaddeus would ever actually dare to admit that Billy’s comments had resonated enough to just barely unbury dreaded things Thaddeus would really rather not address. 

Thaddeus also knew what happened when too many excuses were made for _accidents_ , aware that generally resulted in things which couldn’t be dismissed— or at least shouldn’t be, although often would be. 

So yes— Thaddeus had not been **completely** awful and he’d given Billy a bit of advice he’d personally never been given himself, because when Billy was talking about such a troublesome thing something seemed to finally click upon Thaddeus realizing that the Wizard’s Champion really was _just a boy_ with a _perfect superhero_ as a facade, and suddenly Thaddeus was reminded he was interacting with a foster kid that was **much** more vulnerable when he was simply being Billy Batson and wasn’t parading around as Shazam. 

Ultimately, Thaddeus still couldn’t stand the brat, but Thaddeus was also not his father or brother or any other Sivana relative, and so he did not merely tell Billy to toughen up, and that was simply because Thaddeus had absolutely no interest in becoming like those that had been the very reason he’d sought the Eye of Sin in the first place before becoming a-

“Supervillain.” An all too familiar voice barely managed to somewhat shakily accuse, Thaddeus freezing. “Sup-supervillain…” The voice repeated, raising a little. “Supervillain!” Thaddeus turned to look at none other than Freddy Freeman pointing right at him. “Supervil-” 

Billy practically lunged at Freddy, Thaddeus not realizing Batson had decided to tag along, yet certainly feeling relieved for once that the pest had chosen to accompany him rather than leave him alone per usual. 

“Quiet!” Billy frantically hushed in a hiss through his teeth, smacking his palm over Freddy’s mouth, earning a furrowed brow and muffled exclamation from the utterly bewildered Freddy, Thaddeus looking around to make sure there hadn’t been anyone nearby to hear Freeman’s shouting. “Freddy, **calm down** .” Billy firmly urged, not wanting Freddy to make a scene, causing Freddy to glare at him and let out a series of incomprehensible muffled questions bordering on shouts. “Listen, I’m-” Freddy scoffed into Billy’s hand before snappily saying something that was probably sarcastic, earning a look. “ **Listen** .” Billy repeated, it being more of an instruction than request, Freddy looking substantially annoyed, yet obligingly keeping his mouth shut. “I’m going to remove my hand, and I need you to not freak out, okay?” Freddy gave Billy a look of disbelief. “Just act normal so I can explain what’s going on, all right?” Freddy glanced over Billy’s shoulder at Thaddeus, the older man narrowing his eyes, Freddy resisting the urge to stick his tongue out at the other given how he assumed Billy probably wouldn’t appreciate that considering he had his hand on Freddy’s mouth. “ **Freddy**.” Billy emphasized, Freddy’s wary gaze snapping back towards him. “All right?” Billy repeated, needing to know Freddy wasn’t going to draw attention. 

Freddy emitted a heavy exhale, nonetheless nodding in reluctance, causing Billy to hesitantly lower his hand, Freddy immediately exclaiming, “What the hell are you doing?!” Billy shushed Freddy, causing him to repeat in a much quieter yet just as frantic voice, “ _What are you doing?!_ ” Billy parted his lips to reply, yet didn’t have time to answer given how Freddy accusingly pointed at Thaddeus and added, “Why is **he** here?” 

Despite insisting he could explain, Billy ultimately realized that he didn’t quite know how to answer that. “He-” Billy looked over his shoulder at the awaiting Thaddeus that was somewhat warily keeping his distance. “He’s kind of been exonerated?” Billy offered with a shrug. 

Freddy just stared at Billy for a moment before snapping, “What do you mean he’s _kind of_ been exonerated? How is someone _kind of_ exonerated?!” Somehow, Freddy managed to sound like he was shouting even when he was using a hushed tone. 

“I mean I kind of… you know…” Billy rubbed the side of his neck, throat clearing. “Discharged him or whatever?” 

“I’m sorry, you **what** ?” Freddy questioned, almost certain there was no way he could have heard that right, Billy just giving him a sheepish look. “You’re not- you don’t-” Freddy nervously emitted a somewhat forced chuckle of frustration that didn’t sound very much like a laugh. “You can’t just discharge someone, Billy; You’re a **superhero** — not a **judge** that’s free to waltz around giving parole to whoever you want! Law enforcers acquit people, not-” 

“I do kind of enforce the law, though,” Billy spoke up. “I technically help stop criminals sometimes, so-” 

“Officially hired law enforcers.” Freddy haughtily corrected in a snappy voice, because Billy knew what he meant, and this was not something to make light of as far as Freddy was concerned. “And why would you even want him acquitted in the first place?!” 

Billy evasively looked downwards, shoving his hands in his pockets and pushing gravel around with the tip of his shoe while mumbling, “It just sounded like the prison was sort of crummy or whatever, and I can keep an eye on him better out here anyway.” 

Freddy didn’t know what had gotten into Billy, Uncle Eb obviously being a bad influence given how his best friend’s common sense had apparently diminished. “So what if the prison was crummy?! Prisons aren’t supposed to be top tier, Billy! And it’s not your job to keep an eye on him! What if he finds a way back to the lair now that he’s out?!” 

Billy crossed his arms, reluctantly meeting Freddy’s stare. “I meant the prison sounded kinda’ shady since-” 

“If it sounds shady, then you take it to the higher-ups!” Freddy interjected in aggravation, nonetheless keeping his voice lowered. “You don’t try to take the law into your own hands by letting a murderous criminal walk free!” 

Billy was getting irritated now, too, because Freddy wasn’t letting him finish explaining much less listening when he tried to. “Well I don’t exactly know who the higher-ups would be in this situation, Freddy,” In Billy’s defense, he was only fifteen, so most of his knowledge about this kind of stuff came from badly written cop shows. “And we take the law into our own hands all the time— that’s **literally** what superheroes do.” 

“Us stopping people from getting mugged is **a lot** different from harboring a fugitive that tried to kill us!” Freddy scoffed, meeting Billy’s annoyed stare with a stubborn glare; Freddy was the superhero expert here— not Billy… even if Billy had technically become a bonafide superhero first, but that was beside the point. Point was, Freddy knew what superheroes are supposed to do, and it wasn’t this. 

“He said he hadn’t been trying to **actually** kill us,” Billy defended, realizing that probably sounded less than convincing as the words left his mouth. “He was just… trying to intimidate us into transferring our powers… or whatever.” Billy added, as though that made it any better. 

“And you honestly believe that?” Freddy questioned more than a little skeptically, sighing heavily as Billy made a _so-so_ gesture. “Okay, even if that somehow wasn’t totally B.S., you could still get in **a ton** of trouble for helping him out, and I could get in a lot of trouble for not reporting this crap, so-” 

“We’ve done **a lot** of things we could get in **a lot** of trouble for,” Billy reminded. “Like shorting out an ATM with lightning and-” 

“Okay, fine, sure— fair enough,” Freddy dismissively acknowledged before persisting, “But we never did **anything** that intentionally put anyone in danger, and that guy?” Freddy pointed at Thaddeus yet again, the older’s expression hardening, Freddy swallowing thickly and slightly nervously. “That guy’s more than just a little dangerous, Billy, and you **know** he’s definitely willing to target innocent people to get what he wants,” Billy frowned at that, broodingly looking over his shoulder at the cross-armed Thaddeus before hesitantly returning his stare to Freddy. “Listen— you’ve brought him to a place that obviously has people you care about,” Freddy pointed out, gesturing towards the underpass. “So what are you going to do when he decides to threaten to hurt someone here if you don’t give him back the Sins or something?” Billy’s brow furrowed, the corners of his lips tugging downwards, Freddy desperately trying to talk some sense into him. “He obviously wasn’t able to get back to the lair for whatever reason from inside his prison cell, but out here he basically has free range to use any other means he can to come up with a way to get to the _demon ball_ , and blackmail is probably going to be what he turns to since the first thing he did when escaping was threaten me, Darla, and the others; what you’re doing could **seriously** get someone hurt.” 

“He hasn’t tried to hurt anyone here, though.” Billy finally spoke up, Freddy **really** not understanding why his foster brother was actually defending Thaddeus Sivana. 

“He **just** broke out two days ago,” Freddy retorted. “He hasn’t had time to hurt anyone yet— he’s probably still putting together his next diabolical plan or whatever.” 

“Well he’s just a normal dude now without the Sins,” Billy pointed out. “So even if he did try to hurt someone, I could just say _Shaz’s_ name and stopping him would be a piece of cake, and I’m keeping an eye on him anyway.” 

“What you’re **doing** is **being too confident** ,” Freddy retorted, Billy’s eyes narrowing at the accusation. “If he does end up hurting someone before you can notice something’s wrong or react in time, then you can’t fix that, Billy— last I checked you don’t have healing powers, and you can’t go back in time; there’s no way you’re able to watch his every move twenty-four-seven, and you can’t see the future or read his mind or magically know when he might be getting ready to do something that could put someone at risk,” Freddy gave Billy a pointed look. “If anyone ends up getting killed because of this guy, then that’s gonna’ be on **you** because **you’re** the one letting him waltz around freely so **you’re** the one taking responsibility for him right now for whatever reason **even though** he attacked **us** . Plus, looking out for your **arch-nemesis** instead of turning him back over to the law is literally one of the **last** things you should be doing. Like seriously, that’s the **opposite** of what a superhero manual would tell you to do.” 

“Well the Wizard didn’t really give me a _superhero manual_ , Freddy,” Billy retaliated just a bit miffed. “And I pretty much had to figure out this hero thing on my own since I didn’t really have anyone telling me how I should actually do any of this **chosen one** crap, so I’m kinda’ just trying to work with what I have here.” 

Thaddeus arched a brow at that, an idea coming into place, deciding he needed to act given how Freddy seemed to be somewhat effectively making Billy reconsider not turning Thaddeus in given how Billy was occasionally faltering despite his stubbornness. 

“Oh gee thanks, Billy,” Freddy drawled in sarcasm. “Sorry you didn’t have **anyone** around helping you figure out your superpowers.” His eyes snapped towards Thaddeus, noting the other was suddenly striding over despite initially keeping his distance. 

“Okay, c’mon, you know that’s not what I meant,” Billy wearily sighed. “I know you helped, all right? But the Wizard just…” He trailed off, noticing Freddy was no longer paying attention to him, the boy cautiously staring over Billy’s shoulder. “What?” Billy questioned, looking behind him, noting Thaddeus was calmly approaching, Freddy defensively straightening up. 

Oh great— as though attempting to be the peacekeeper hadn’t already been hard enough with the two keeping their distance; now, Billy had to make sure Freddy didn’t try swatting Thaddeus with his crutch and Thaddeus didn’t try goading him into doing something dangerous. 

“Don’t.” Billy warned, giving Freddy a look as the younger looked at Thaddeus and parted his lips to say something that Billy **knew** wouldn’t be particularly pleasant, earning a glare from Freddy, the boy shutting his mouth nonetheless. “Be nice.” Billy sternly advised with a more than serious expression. 

Freddy gave Billy a look of disbelief. “Why are you telling **me** to be nice?! Tell the guy that kidnapped me to be nice, you douche!” 

“Is everything all right here?” Thaddeus calmly inquired, coming to a halt next to Billy, head tilting, Billy visibly tensing as Freddy tightened his grasp on his crutch. 

“Yeah,” Billy warily assured. “Everything’s fi-” 

“No,” Freddy interjected, Billy giving him yet another look, Freddy ignoring it and continuing, “Everything is **not** fine.” He eyed Thaddeus over skeptically, earning a raised brow. “You’re blackmailing Billy into helping you somehow or something, aren’t you?” 

“No,” Billy answered before Thaddeus could. “He’s not.” Billy had **just** gotten Thaddeus to lighten up a little even if it was just barely, and he **really** didn’t want Freddy messing with that. “I already told you, the prison was shady and-” 

“And you shouldn’t need a _superhero manual_ or some wise Wizard’s advice to know that a screwed up prison isn’t for you to handle,” Freddy added, Billy’s jaw clenching at the interruption. “ **That** should be common sense.” Superheroes handle stopping criminals— law enforcers handle what happen to the criminals after, and if law enforcers aren’t doing their jobs then it’s the higher-ups that fix that… not superheroes that have more important things to do than watch **one** bad guy twenty-four-seven to make sure he stays out of trouble when there are a bunch of bad guys already causing trouble on the streets that needed to be stopped. 

Billy practically bristled at Freddy’s comment, gaze hardening and lips parting to snap back a retort and- 

“I take it you didn’t meet the Wizard?” Thaddeus commented before Billy could say anything. 

Freddy narrowed his eyes at Thaddeus. “What’s that supposed to mean?” He was trying to have a conversation with Billy here, and he didn’t appreciate this jerk interrupting it. 

“You referred to him as a wise Wizard, although I’m not sure _wise_ is a particularly accurate word,” Thaddeus casually answered. “Frankly, a better-suited term would be…” He glanced at Billy, giving a shrug. “Arrogant, perhaps?” 

Billy blinked— wait… was Thaddeus wanting to know if he agreed? Was he **actually** asking for his opinion? It almost seemed like Thaddeus was **siding** with him, and okay sure— technically it should be obvious that Thaddeus would side with the notion of deserving to walk freely, but **still** — Thaddeus was essentially taking Billy’s side, and that in itself was a surprise regardless of reasoning. 

“Yeah,” Billy eventually replied after a moment of just looking at Thaddeus in surprise. “Yeah— definitely arrogant.” He agreed with a slight smirk. 

Freddy narrowed his eyes, not quite liking the idea of a bonafide villain backing up his best friend, somewhat concerned that the pair were agreeing on… literally anything **and** practically standing side by side. “All right, fine— whatever; that doesn’t really have to do with anything I was saying, and-” 

“It doesn’t?” Thaddeus mused. “Because it certainly sounded as though you were claiming Billy would be better off if he’d had advice or some kind of manual from the Wizard to heed,” Thaddeus’ chin inclined. “Although when it comes to the Wizard’s nonsense, I’d say Billy’s better off following his own intuition, as is just about anyone else.” 

Billy was more than a little taken aback at the nod of acknowledgment Thaddeus gave him. “Yeah,” Billy finally mumbled after a moment, straightening up and crossing his arms, evidently confident. “Yeah— I **do** have good intuition.” 

Freddy frowned, fairly certain Thaddeus was scheming something here given how he was a villain, and villains tended to… well, scheme. “No,” Freddy corrected in annoyance. “That’s **not** what I was saying, actually, but thanks for pulling a **total villain move** by putting words in my mouth and trying to make me look like the bad guy here, douchebag.” Freddy was more than ready to call Thaddeus out on his B.S.— even if Billy wasn’t. “Now can you either shut up and stop interrupting or go somewhere else so me and Billy finish our conversation without you butting in and-” 

“Hey,” Billy objected, not wanting Freddy to go off starting something. “Don’t-” 

“Oh so he’s allowed to use a condescending tone on me to give you an ego boost, but I’m not allowed to call him out on it without you throwing a hissy fit?” Freddy scoffed, Billy’s lips pursing. “C’mon, Billy— he’s obviously steering us away from talking about putting him back in prison because he knows as soon as I talk an ounce of common sense into you-” 

“And _I’m_ the condescending one?” Thaddeus interjected, looking at Billy and raising a brow at Freddy’s behavior. 

“Yeah— I don’t need _common sense talked into me_ , Freddy,” Billy informed irked. “And I wasn’t throwing a hissy fit.” Billy personally felt like he was actually handling this very professionally, and it was frustrating that only Thaddeus Sivana seemed to notice that. 

“Okay, that’s not-” Freddy released a frustrated sigh. “That’s obviously not what I meant-” 

“You keep implying quite a number of things _should_ be obvious,” Thaddeus spoke up yet again. “Which is a rather insulting way to-” 

“I’m **this** close to just calling the cops and telling them what’s going on myself.” Freddy threatened while leaving less than a centimeter of space between his thumb and pointer finger, not appreciating Thaddeus’ attempts at manipulations. 

“No,” Billy immediately protested with wide eyes. “You can’t-” 

“That would put Billy in danger, too,” Thaddeus spoke up, it seeming incredibly unfair to Freddy that Billy simply nodded in agreement at Thaddeus’ interruption rather than glaring at him like he had at Freddy for interrupting. “Given how Billy’s the one that’s been aiding me.” 

“I would leave that part out.” Freddy stated in annoyance. 

Thaddeus stepped forward, Billy’s expression falling, the older practically looming over Freddy. “And what happens when the police question the people here and find out Billy’s the one that introduced me to this quaint underpass?” 

Freddy straightened up, not missing a beat as he replied, “I could just tell the cops that Billy didn’t recognize you— ya’ know, with your crummy disguise and all.” 

Thaddeus‘ expression hardened, Freddy glaring up at him while tightening his grasp around his crutch and- 

“Okay,” Billy spoke up, grabbing Thaddeus’ arm, not wanting the situation to escalate. “Let’s just-” Thaddeus’ straightened, his sharp gaze turning towards Billy, glancing down at the boy’s hand with narrowed eyes. “Um…” Billy was quickly reminded that Thaddeus not being completely awful to him didn’t mean they were friends whatsoever. “Look,” Billy said, clearing his throat and releasing Thaddeus’ arm in favor of resting his palm against Freddy’s shoulder, gently guiding his foster brother a few feet away from Thaddeus. “Right now, I’ve got this under control, okay?” Whether he was trying to assure Freddy, Thaddeus, or himself of that wasn’t clear. “So until I figure things out and figure out how to go about handling this or whatever, I need you to just trust me here, all right?” 

Freddy gave Billy an exasperated look. “Did you not hear how contradicting what you just said was? How can you have this under control if you haven’t figured out how to-” 

“That’s beside the point,” Billy waved off, dismissively clarifying, “The point is, I just need you to trust me right now, okay?” 

“I mean, yeah, sure… I **do** trust you personally,” Freddy stated before adding, “But that doesn’t mean I trust that you have the best judgment on this situation, because this seems like a really, **really** bad idea, Billy, and I honestly can’t figure out what you’re trying to achieve here when there’s barely any good outcomes that could come from this— if any.” 

“I’m just trying to do the right thing here,” Billy tried to explain, like he’d been frustratedly trying to explain for the last five or so minutes. “And, I dunno’, maybe I’m not doing it in the best possible way, and maybe I’m making this a little riskier than it should be, and maybe there’s a better way to do this that isn’t so tedious, and maybe I am overcomplicating things,” A pause, Billy giving Freddy a look to make sure he was actually listening to what he meant instead of just hearing him speak before adding, “But I’m doing my best here, and I can handle what I’m doing, and I need you to trust that I can sometimes do this superhero thing on my own by now, all right?” 

Freddy furrowed his brow, looking Billy over while considering his words before glancing at Thaddeus, the corners of his lips tugging downwards at the cold stare the villain was giving him, broodingly returning his gaze towards Billy and eventually releasing a weary exhale. “Okay— fine,” Freddy finally relented in reluctance, a relieved expression meeting Billy’s face. “But I’m gonna’ find out who the higher-ups are from the prison, and as soon as I figure out how to get them to fix whatever shady crap you’re talking about, we’re taking him back to-” 

“How about you just figure out who the higher-ups are before we decide what to do after?” Billy interjected, not wanting Thaddeus to get any more hostile, giving Freddy a look conveying a warning to not push their luck by threatening to send a villain back to jail when he was only a few mere feet away. 

“Yeah, fine— whatever.” Freddy mumbled, leaning on his crutch more so. “Is this why you ran away from your uncle again, then?” He asked, gesturing towards Thaddeus, ignoring the way the older impatiently crossed his arms. 

Billy’s expression faltered. “Huh?” 

“You weren’t answering your text messages, so I figured you ran away again and forgot your phone or something,” Freddy explained, gesturing towards the underpass. “And considering you’re here, you obviously did; did you bail because you're trying to keep an eye on Scarface?” Thaddeus didn’t particularly appreciate the nickname, but Freddy looked rather pleased with himself. 

“Oh— right. Uh, but no, that’s not what made me run away again; bringing Thaddeus here was kind of a last-minute thing.” Billy rubbed the side of his neck, gaze averting, Thaddeus refraining from making a comment about how people addressed him as _Dr. Sivana_ , not particularly wanting both boys to retort with what would surely be a degradingly sarcastic quip. “My uncle actually found my phone and broke it, so…” Billy trailed off, Thaddeus noting he left out the part about the burn mark, the boy’s throat clearing. “How’d you know I was out here anyway?” 

“I didn’t— I ditched class when you didn’t show up to school or text anything about staying home; I’ve been looking everywhere for you, and remembered this was one of the places you’d mentioned hiding out at sometimes,” Freddy answered, his own gaze averting. “I was just worried about you or whatever and wanted to make sure your uncle hadn’t killed you or something.” That last part was half-joke, half-serious. 

“Oh.” Billy still wasn’t used to having a family that actually bothered looking for him whenever he went off the chart, even doing so when he was no longer legally considered a part of that very family. “Sorry…” He hadn’t meant to worry Freddy, not exactly being the greatest with apologies or words of appreciation. 

Freddy gave a less than convincing nonchalant shrug, saying in a not so fine voice, 

“It’s fine.” Honestly, Freddy was only somewhat worried before, but now? Now he was **a lot** more worried considering Thaddeus Sivana had apparently become a part of this whole mess— as though dealing with the legal troubles involving Billy’s uncle hadn’t already been tedious enough… 

“Do you wanna’ hang out for a little while or something?” Billy offered, Freddy not knowing how Billy could act as though their arch-nemesis wasn’t standing within arms reach, Billy somehow not seeming bothered in the least. “I mean, I know I haven’t really had time to meet up lately with uncle Eb and all, but I’m pretty much free now if you wanna’-” 

“I actually have some homework and stuff I have to do.” Freddy stated, speaking of which… 

Billy’s expression fell. “Oh.” Freddy **never** did homework unless it was for art class. “Okay.” Billy had pissed Freddy off about the Thaddeus thing, and now he didn’t want to hang out— great… Billy had been looking forward to catching up with Freddy for months now, and he’s apparently pretty much ruined what was supposed to be a good reunion. “Maybe tomorrow then?” The tables had turned— usually it was Freddy that wanted to socialize when Billy just needed some alone time. 

“Maybe.” Freddy mumbled with a shrug while digging through his backpack, and somehow that was worse than a straight out _no_ since that meant Billy couldn’t count on knowing the next time Freddy would come around. “Here,” Freddy said, holding out a folder. “It’s the stuff you missed in journalism.” Freddy knew that was the only class Billy would actually bother doing makeup homework for. 

“Thanks,” Billy replied, taking the homework and offering a slight smile that Freddy didn’t return, the corners of Billy’s lips almost immediately tugging back downwards. “So-” 

“I should get going.” Freddy spoke up while standing, slinging his backpack over his shoulder, glancing at Thaddeus with a frown, not sure as to whether the older man was glaring at him or if that was just his resting face, returning his gaze towards Billy and pausing before adding, “Just… you know…” Freddy faltered, ultimately looking more concerned than annoyed. “Be safe or whatever, okay?” 

Billy visibly relaxed at how Freddy’s expression at least softened a little, giving a nod of thanks. “You, too.” 

Freddy glanced at Thaddeus one more time over his shoulder as he started to walk away, the older raising a questioning brow, Freddy not so subtly scratching his jaw with his middle finger, Billy giving him a look and Thaddeus narrowing his eyes, Freddy smirking as he turned around and continued on his way. 

“Will he call the police?” Thaddeus warily inquired, arms crossing. 

“No— he knows I’ll get mixed up in the investigation if he does.” Billy answered without any ounce of uncertainty, opening his folder and cringing at the week’s worth of missed homework. 

Thaddeus noticed the abundance of makeup sheets. “Do you make a habit of missing school?” Thaddeus mused somewhat to goad and somewhat to ask a genuine question, continuing his walk towards the water fountain on the other side of the street. 

“I used to ditch a lot,” Billy confirmed with a shrug while following, not seeing a reason to lie. “Lately I’ve actually been **wanting** to go to school to get away from uncle Eb though, but he’s been keeping me on lockdown for not finishing chores or whatever, and the teachers don’t really wonder where I am at this point since I barely showed up at the beginning of the year even though I began trying to go more regularly after Rosa and Victor talked with me about my grades back when I was staying with them, and this is the first year I’ve actually kind of liked school since the journalism class I’m taking is honestly pretty cool.” 

Again, something really stood out to Thaddeus there that he almost didn’t catch with how casually Billy said it. “Your uncle’s groundings include keeping you home from school?” 

Billy nodded. “Yeah. Like, if I wash the dishes without drying them then he’ll keep me home and make me rewash them, and he usually nitpicks a lot of things like that, so I pretty much have to stay home all day fixing them.” 

“And your teachers aren’t aware of this?” Thaddeus inquired, the pair crossing the crosswalk. 

“Nope— they all assume I’m just ditching again, so they don’t really even bother to call home anymore.” Billy said oh so nonchalantly. 

“Have you considered telling them?” Thaddeus asked— _hint-hint_. 

“Not really,” Billy admitted, tucking the journalism folder under his arm. “They’d probably just question him a little and then leave me to get grounded for another month for snitching on him.” Billy said that like it was supposed to be a joke, but Thaddeus didn’t find the situation very amusing. 

“You could formally report that he’s withholding your education along with the burn mark incident,” Thaddeus casually informed while approaching the water fountain. “And any other events that may be noteworthy,” He offhandedly added, filling his hydro flask. “Assuming that you still want to leave his household in favor of returning to your previous foster family, that is.” 

Billy blinked— wait… was Thaddeus offering him genuine advice here? “A formal report?” He hesitantly asked, wondering if there was some kind of catch here, because why in the world would Thaddeus bother wasting his breath on him when he **hated** him and generally didn’t bother talking to him unless it involved voicing disdain? 

“A written document with your social worker.” Thaddeus clarified, his tone admittedly somewhat condescending as though that should be obvious, although at least he actually answered Billy instead of just goading him. 

Billy noticed how Thaddeus stepped away from the water fountain, and then… just stood there— as though he was actually waiting for the boy instead of just impatiently walking off like he had better things to do per usual, and oh- 

Oh. Thaddeus was actually waiting for Billy— even if Thaddeus did look a little impatient about it… he was still waiting. 

“Couldn’t that get my uncle in a lot of trouble or something, though?” Billy questioned while quickly filling his own water bottle. 

“Perhaps he should have considered that beforehand.” Thaddeus dismissed with a shrug. 

“Says the guy that got arrested for demonic crimes.” Billy snickered, earning an unamused look, clearing his throat. “Sorry.” He tightened his bottle cap. “Seriously though— I definitely want to go back to the Vasquez’s, but I don’t wanna’ blow things out of proportion and get my uncle thrown in jail or something.” 

“Why not?” Thaddeus asked completely seriously, not seeing why the boy felt such a dire need to seemingly keep people who had wronged him out of jail, wondering if this was some misguided sense of guilt. 

“Because he hasn’t done anything **super** bad or whatever.” Billy answered simply, following Thaddeus back to the crosswalk. 

“What exactly do you define as bad enough to warrant jail time?” Thaddeus inquired, side-eyeing Billy. “Seeing as how you apparently didn’t feel as though even my deeds were deserving of a place in prison.” 

“Oh so you’re not trying to justify your _deeds_ for once, huh?” Billy joked with a smirk, obviously avoiding the question, earning an expectant and awaiting stare, Billy emitting a heavy sigh. “Honestly? **You** do kinda’ deserve jail time, but like… at a prison that doesn’t keep you in complete isolation for an entire year— that just seemed sort of needlessly cruel or whatever, so…” Billy trailed off. 

Thaddeus quirked a brow. “Is that why you haven’t alerted the police?” A rather amusing realization finally dawned on him, and oh this boy truly was naïve, wasn’t he? “Because of some minor infringements of human rights in a prison?” Had Shazam **really** hauled him to jail under the genuine assumption that he would be treated fairly whatsoever after the monstrosities he’d committed? Oh that was just rich— Thaddeus almost couldn’t be mad at the gullible teenager for throwing him in that miserable place with a mindset like that; Billy may have had to grow up faster than most children his age, but he was still ignorant in many matters. 

Billy was more than aware the system was crummy from personal experience, but Thaddeus doubted he knew the full extent of its less than favorable aspects. 

“Aren’t you supposed to get time to socialize and go outside and exercise and stuff?” Billy asked somewhat unsurely, not quite getting what Thaddeus evidently found so interesting about his explanation. “Like, if you keep in line then they’re supposed to let you out some time every day or something, right?” That was a right or privilege or something that prisoners were supposed to get, wasn’t it? “At least for a little while anyway?” 

“Aren’t you supposed to have a caretaker that actually takes care of you?” Thaddeus retorted, not in a way quite meant to be unkind, essentially just making a point of sorts. 

Billy frowned. “Oh— right.” It made more sense when Thaddeus put it like that, a period of silence stretching by before Billy asked, “So what all did you do in prison, then?” 

“Attempted to find my way back to the _Eye_.” Thaddeus answered without hesitation, not particularly interested in talking about that less than pleasant jailcell. 

Billy rolled his eyes. “Okay, fine— what **else** did you do other than **that**?” 

_Talk to an otherworldly caterpillar hallucination._ “That was the gist of what consumed my time.” An obsession of searching that Thaddeus had practiced for years upon years, that seeming like the natural thing to return to when being thrown in jail after having everything he’d discovered once again lost almost as quickly as he’d found it. 

“Well what do you do for fun?” Billy persisted, hoping Thaddeus wouldn’t claim **that** was somehow fun. “Come on, you’ve **got** to have hobbies other than tracking down demons and searching for ultimate power.” Billy insisted when earning a quizzical stare. “Some kind of art? A sport? Something you can do electronically? An outdoorsy activity? A thing that-” 

“Cooking and reading.” Thaddeus finally spoke up, fairly certain Billy wouldn’t shut up until he offered an answer. 

Billy perked up. “Seriously? You can actually cook?” Thaddeus gave him a look, because what was **that** supposed to mean? “Don’t most businessmen usually just order takeout and stuff?” 

“I’m a scientist,” Thaddeus stiffly corrected. “Not a businessman.” 

“So what all do you like to cook?” Billy asked intrigued. “And what kinds of books do you-” 

“What do you enjoy doing for entertainment purposes?” Thaddeus wearily sighed, hoping that would stop the bombardment of questions. 

Billy was surprised Thaddeus had bothered asking him that instead of just voicing disinterest in the conversation. “Playing video games, hanging out with Freddy, going to the zoo, trying out new breakfast recipes…” Oh great— Thaddeus was probably going to receive an endless list of things now. “Doing superhero stuff, journalism, watching-” 

“Journalism?” Thaddeus interjected in attempts to stop the boy’s rambling, hoping he’d keep his explanation brief and to the point rather than listing off every single thing he’d ever written an article about for class. 

Again, Billy was taken aback by the fact that Thaddeus didn’t just state that he could frankly care less about his interests like the boy had admittedly expected him to. “Yeah, it’s the elective I’m taking this quarter— it’s actually kind of interesting compared to… pretty much everything else. The teacher’s a little intense, but also really knowledgeable and stuff, so it’s cool or whatever; right now we’re working on articles about issues in our neighborhoods, so I guess I’ll just write about the underpass or something,” Billy smirked. “I bet writing about harboring a fugitive would make my story **really** stand out.” Thaddeus narrowed his eyes. “Kidding.” Billy assured, the older apparently still too much of a sour sprout to know how to take a joke, but at least he was actually listening. 

“Hilarious.” Thaddeus insincerely commented in dry sarcasm without a hint of amusement. 

Billy rolled his eyes at the grumpy reply, but didn’t try pushing his luck, aware Thaddeus could only take so much of him joshing around. “So are you good with me calling you Thaddeus, then?” Billy asked conversationally. 

Thaddeus frowned. “What?” 

“I mean, obviously I’ll call you Jon around other people who don’t know who you are and stuff,” Billy nonchalantly assured. “But are you good with _Thaddeus_ otherwise or whatever? Like, I noticed it sounds kinda’ serious, so maybe I could call you _Thad_ or something instead.” 

“Dr. Sivana.” Thaddeus corrected, _Thad_ being a frequent nickname his dreadful brother had tauntingly called him— a nickname Thaddeus was not at all fond of given the unpleasant connotations that ensued. 

“But that sounds super serious, too,” Billy pointed out. “How about **Mr.** Sivana, at least?” Thaddeus gave him a look, Billy negotiating, “ _Siv_ for short?” 

“Absolutely not.” Thaddeus scoffed, _Mr. Sivana_ being what people had called his father and something even worse than _Thad_. 

“Mr. Thaddeus?” Billy ever so stubbornly persisted, Thaddeus shaking his head in disdain and releasing a sigh of annoyance while turning his sights forward, not seeing why the boy even bothered asking if he wasn’t going to listen, deciding to ultimately ignore Billy. “Thad seems like a good option.” Billy commented, Thaddeus inwardly cringing at the unfortunately familiar nickname. 

“All right.” Thaddeus sharply relented irked, his silence seemingly only encouraging Billy to continue his pointless rambling when the boy clearly had his mind set anyways. 

Billy smirked, giving a nod of satisfaction, clearly pleased with himself. “Thad it is.” Thaddeus was rather displeased with the outcome, that apparently becoming evident given the way Billy’s lips turned downwards. “Do you actually **like** being called _Dr. Sivana_ ?” Didn’t that remind Thaddeus of the rest of his family? “I mean, I don’t really like it when people call me _Batson_ considering my dad apparently pretty much bailed on my mom and me and stuff, so…” Billy trailed off, giving a shrug. “I guess I just figured you’d be cool with a nickname or whatever.” 

Thaddeus frowned, certainly irked, but not quite at the point of being angry. “I said _all right_.” He stiffly repeated, permitting the boy to use the nickname, but certainly not about to act as though it was preferable. 

Billy honestly couldn’t tell if Thaddeus was always in a bad mood, or if he just had a sour attitude by default. “I could call you **Dr.** Thad,” Billy offered. “If you prefer the _doctor_ part or something.” Somehow, Billy’s attempts to be considerate seemed even more exasperating to Thaddeus than his blatantly brazen moments of cheekiness given how the boy was pestering him about something as trivial as a name. “Hey, maybe I could just call you doc!” Thaddeus side-eyed Billy. “Or not.” Billy decoded just _Thad_ worked fine. “What did you get your Ph.D in, anyway?” 

“My Associates was in Anthropology and I received my Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering with a Masters in Probability and Statistics, although my Ph.D. is in Physics,” A pause. “And I obtained a minor in business.” Okay, fine— so Thaddeus was admittedly a **little** bit of a businessman, but more than anything he was a scientist. 

Billy’s eyebrows raised. “Oh. Wow— that’s, uh… definitely impressive,” And a little intimidating. “So you have a pretty decked out resumé, huh?” All those degrees were honestly kind of daunting. 

_Impressive_? Thaddeus wasn’t used to hearing anything along the lines of that— he was used to hearing how he should have gotten a Ph.D. in Entrepreneurship, Finances, or Marketing instead to contribute to the family business. 

“I had to get funding for my research somehow.” Thaddeus simply dismissed, as though those kinds of studies were small potatoes, which was frankly baffling to Billy. 

“I’ll be lucky if I pass algebra and Chemistry with a D-.” Billy mumbled, arms crossing. 

“Perhaps attending class would increase your chances.” Thaddeus mused, the jest being smug… but it was still a jest, nonetheless, which implied he was in a not absolutely awful mood. 

“Very funny,” Billy grumbled, Thaddeus apparently only interested in making jokes at his expense. “Uncle Eb called the school the last time I ran away, though, and my homeroom teacher had security keep an eye on me in the counselor’s office until he showed up to take me back home, so _attending class_ isn’t really a choice until I figure out a way around that since I’d like to buy as much time as I can hanging around here,” Billy rubbed the side of his neck. “Plus I should probably give uncle Eb some time to cool off before showing up again.” 

“And if you didn’t give him some time to _cool off_?” Thaddeus inquired, studying Billy from the corner of his eye. 

Billy shrugged as they crossed the street, gaze averted. “He’d probably just get all shouty and huffy and yell a bunch of crummy stuff like a snappy prick,” Which Billy was used to in any case… “One of his signature phrases is _ungrateful little shit_ — it almost sounds like an endearment at this point with how often he uses it.” Billy joked, but it wasn’t quite a joke. 

Again, there was a certain kind of familiarity with what Billy was saying, that last comment in particular prompting a recollection that Thaddeus would really rather not address, the older absolutely not wanting anything this boy said to resonate with him in any way whatsoever, but- 

_Find us_. 

Thaddeus winced, reflexively touching the throbbing scar under his eye, grimacing and gritting his teeth. 

“Are you okay?” Billy asked, Thaddeus not quite liking how the boy sounded genuinely concerned nor quite understanding that concern, because they were still on opposing sides regardless of a temporary truce, and Thaddeus had no interest in getting too familiar. 

“Yes.” Thaddeus answered, short and sharp and- 

“It still hurts?” 

And Thaddeus didn’t like how the boy sounded undeniably guilty when asking that, because Thaddeus didn’t need the meddlesome hero feeling bad for essentially defeating him, that somehow making Thaddeus’ fall from power seem even more degrading… as though salt was being rubbed in the wound— no matter how unintentionally. 

“It’s fine.” Thaddeus dismissed through clenched teeth, substantially bitter, the ache that was strong enough to spread down to his shoulder not exactly improving his mood. 

Billy wondered if he’d possibly been a little too harsh when retracting the Eye of Sin, unsure as to whether there might have been a better way to seize it that wouldn’t have been so… painfully plucky and whatnot. 

“Does it usually hurt?” Billy questioned, because it had been almost a year since the brawl, so that meant it shouldn’t be hurting all the time… right? Unless Billy had done some serious damage in the process of retrieving it and- 

“A gouged eye doesn’t come with particularly pleasant outcomes.” Thaddeus snapped considering that should be obvious, his tone even harsher than usual, Billy visibly cringing at the raised voice. 

“I just took the _Eye of Sin_ or whatever, though— you still have… you know… **your** eye.” Billy mumbled, and in Billy’s defense Thaddeus had left him with no choice other than to take away the one thing that was giving Thaddeus immensely destructive power which he was using as a means to attack Billy and his family. Plus, Billy hadn’t really known how he should go about taking out the Eye of Sin given how he’d pretty much just been winging it on a whim, as he did most things. Nonetheless, Billy hadn’t particularly wanted to cause any manner of pain or anything like that; he’d just wanted to keep his siblings safe. 

“A **blind** eye.” Thaddeus scoffed, venom laced in his tone, approaching their area beneath the underpass, frankly not really caring whether or not the boy kept up with his pace, much less acknowledging when a frowning Billy came to a halt as Thaddeus walked on, having little to no interest in wherever the Wizard’s Champion suddenly decided to walk off to as Billy ended up going the opposite way without another word. 

Thaddeus sat on his sleeping bag, leaning back against the underpass pillar and closing his eyes while clenching his jaw, impatiently waiting for the pain to subdue. 

Could the Sins not at least give Thaddeus something a bit more useful to work with? _Find us_ simply wasn’t a particularly helpful phrase. Why did their directions have to be so vague? Could they not just outright tell him where he should go to find them or what he should do? Thaddeus had done what had worked a year ago— he’d eloquently scrawled the seven symbols in the correct seven sequences all over his jailcell’s door, and covered his walls in the writings, and filled his notebook with the pattern… and absolutely nothing had happened. No glow, no _whoosh_ , no passageway. 

Thaddeus didn’t know how to prompt another door to the Wizard’s lair, and the Sins seemingly expected him to just up and find another way there despite it nearly taking him approximately fifty years to get the symbols method accurate enough to work. Thaddeus had to figure this all out solely by himself the first time around, and once again the Sins were not offering much help outside of vague requests bordering on demands. At this point, Thaddeus wondered if the Sins knew what he should do any better than he did. Were they perhaps being prevented from revealing more somehow? 

The icing on the cake was that Thaddeus didn’t even have his research team this time, and he likely wouldn’t regain one anytime soon considering it wasn’t exactly easy to hire qualified employees that had any substantial skills worth knowing who would want to work for a fugitive without many resources at his disposal— it wasn’t as though Thaddeus would be able to get a grant to pay for a team given how the academic community hardly wanted anything to do with a man who had ruthlessly killed his own father and brother regardless of whether or not he was a renowned scientist, and Thaddeus couldn’t very well walk into a bank without being tackled by policemen… not that a bank would do much good anyway considering Thaddeus’ accounts had been frozen after his sentencing. 

Relocating the Sins the first time had been tediously overwhelming, but this? This seemed nearly impossible given the current circumstances, and Thaddeus had even less to work with this time around. 

It didn’t help that the scar along his eye was beginning to sting much more frequently and for longer stretches of time, as though searching for the Sins while being half-blind wasn’t already bad eno- 

“Here,” Billy spoke up, Thaddeus blinking and looking up at the boy irked, frowning at the sight of the Dr. Pepper can Billy was holding out. “I got it from a nearby vending machine— it’s pretty cold, so…” Billy shrugged, gesturing towards Thaddeus’ eye. “Maybe it’ll help.” When Thaddeus just stared at him, Billy clarified, “Try holding it against the scar and-” 

“I know what you meant.” Thaddeus informed, tone still sharp given how his eye continued to hurt substantially, yet not quite as hostile, just sounding firm more than anything— maybe a bit grumpy, but not too furious comparatively. “I doubt it would help enough to do any good.” Thaddeus dryly dismissed, soft drinks frankly seeming borderline demeaning compared to proper ice packets. 

“It could help a little,” Billy mumbled with a shrug. “If you wanna’ try it or whatever,” Billy was just trying to help the best he could, but maybe he should just accept there wasn’t much he could actually do when he was just Billy Batson and not Shazam. “It’s not like you have to, though.” 

Thaddeus wondered whether or not Billy would have bothered with attempting such a minor and trivial notion if the boy hadn’t felt somewhat responsible for Thaddeus’ current status. 

Somewhat reluctantly, Thaddeus paused before begrudgingly accepting the cold can, pressing it against the scar, the corners of his lips tugging downwards at how silly he must look. Billy didn’t seem to find any amusement in it, though, the boy simply sitting beside him, only leaving about a foot of space and not even bothering to ask if he could sit on Thaddeus’ part of the area they’d been designated. Thaddeus emitted an annoyed exhale, but refrained from commenting on the boy’s recurring lack of manners. 

“Aren’t you supposed to be saving your money for a new phone rather than blowing it on vending machines?” Thaddeus muttered, the cold Dr. Pepper can admittedly helping just a tad bit. 

Billy shrugged, noticing the border collie playfully herd a giddily sprinting Sunny. “Is it helping at all?” 

A pause. 

“Somewhat.” Thaddeus admitted, not seeing a reason to lie, because his scar did feel a bit better, even if it was just barely. 

“Then I didn’t blow my money.” Billy stated, keeping his eyes on Sunny and the dog, hesitating for a moment before mumbling, “Sorry…” Billy swallowed thickly. “For injuring your eye and all…” The boy’s brow furrowed, the corners of his lips tugging downwards. “It must have hurt pretty bad if it’s still stinging and stuff…” 

Thaddeus frowned, because he had every reason to **want** Billy to feel guilty for going against him— to want the boy to regret defying him; to want the Wizard’s Champion to wonder if he’d been in the wrong… to want the hero to question himself and potentially be too hesitant to act in the future. Thaddeus **should** undeniably want that. 

Despite that, Thaddeus said, “You weren’t the one that injured it.”, because for whatever reason Thaddeus didn’t particularly have any desire to make Billy take the blame. 

Billy blinked, looking at Thaddeus. “Huh?” 

Thaddeus was more than aware he could just not correct Billy on his assumption and allow the boy to continue believing that he’d caused this. “The _Eye of Sin_ shattered my glasses when I took it off the pedestal,” Thaddeus calmly explained nonetheless. “A shard of glass grazed my eye, and the jolt of electricity that came after wasn’t particularly easy on the nerves and whatnot,” Thaddeus didn’t want Billy to feel as though he hadn’t wronged him, because the boy had still taken away everything from him, and Thaddeus loathed Billy for that, but Thaddeus also didn’t see any reason for Billy to be so perplexingly upset over some misguided sense of guilt regarding something else entirely. “The pain subdued whenever one of the Sins were present, but it arose if all seven ventured elsewhere until at least one of them returned,” Thaddeus wasn’t about to show gratitude towards Billy’s attempts at kindness, having no desire to voice gratefulness for an enemy, although he didn’t mind being… somewhat cordial in return when applicable. “That’s where the occasional pain comes from.” 

“Oh.” Billy eyed Thaddeus over, trying to figure out whether the older had seriously just **reassured** him of that, wondering if he’d possibly misunderstood what- 

The border collie barked, Billy turning his attention toward the fallen Sunny that had tripped over gravel, clutching his knee with watery eyes, a bruise already forming on his chin, and oh great… 

“Are you okay?” Billy worriedly called out, quickly scrambling to stand up on instinct more than anything. 

“Here.” Thaddeus murmured, Billy pausing and tilting his head as Thaddeus held out the cold Dr. Pepper can, causing the older to gesture towards Sunny, the small boy looking just about ready to start bawling. 

Billy perked up. “Oh, uh, thanks.” He briefly hesitated. “You sure you don’t need it?” Thaddeus nodded despite his scar still throbbing substantially, the ache already increasing given the lack of coldness to numb it. 

Billy gave Thaddeus a grateful smile, taking the soft drink and rushing over to Sunny, shooing away the border collie attempting to uncertainly paw at the smaller fretting boy. Billy gently pressed the cold can against Sunny’s chin while trying to get him to calm down, letting the younger clutch onto his sleeve as he examined the cut on the sniffling Sunny’s leg. Despite still being somewhat awkward, frazzled, and weary when it came to kids, Billy had gotten a whole lot better at knowing how to handle them thanks to Darla. 

Thaddeus found Billy’s concern over such a minor thing somewhat baffling given how Thaddeus’ father had essentially just told him to toughen up after he’d received a bruised rib from Sid back when he’d been an adolescent, meanwhile Billy was acting as though Sunny had just broken a limb that needed immediate attention when he was barely even bleeding much at all. 

Billy said something that made Sunny’s lips wearily tug upwards, still crying but easing up some at least, Billy giving him a somewhat exasperated but mostly reassuring smile while saying something else with a chuckle and ruffling Sunny’s hair, the smaller boy effectively trying to calm his breathing by steadily taking in deep breaths, still clinging to Billy’s sleeve as the older used his fingerless gloves to brush away some of the tears and dirt streaking Sunny’s cheeks. 

Thaddeus reckoned if there was one good thing about the pesky hindrance known as Billy Batson, it was that he was certainly no Sid Sivana nor Mr. Sivana in the least.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was expecting to have this fic done by 50,000 words but I’ve barely delved into the character development and story arcs... Somehow approximately only three days have been covered within the fic so far... This was initially supposed to be a one-chapter Thaddeus Sivana character study... lol.


	11. Navigating Through Suffocating Aftermath

Thaddeus strongly disliked any lack of privacy, so one can imagine how much he loathed the notion of having to resort to a gym shower room, ultimately deciding to impatiently wait until there were no other occupants to take his turn and locking the door behind him. Unfortunately, that was the least of his troubles, Thaddeus quickly realizing he had an even more significant one regarding not knowing what to do with the prison uniform beneath his coat. If he simply threw it away, a custodian could notice it and alert the police, which would likely cause them to thoroughly snoop around the block— including the underpass. If Thaddeus kept the article of inmate clothing in his belongings, it could be noticed by someone at the underpass, who could ultimately lead the police right to him. If Thaddeus buried it, the pesky border collie could potentially unbury it. If Thaddeus tried to burn it in a burn barrel, something could go horribly wrong considering he didn’t quite know how to work a burn barrel. If Thaddeus tried to wrap his jumpsuit around rocks and sink it in a nearby lake, the cloth could possibly unfold and float back to the top. If Thaddeus tried to take it to the other side of town, he’d have to go through crowds and could draw unwanted attention to himself when he preferred remaining low key at the underpass. 

If if if. 

Thaddeus decided he could just keep the prison uniform buried in his belongings for the time being, that meaning he’d have to keep a close eye on the tote bag Billy had given him at all times. Thaddeus would have preferred a leather satchel given how that stood out much less than a vibrant green and yellow beach bag, but Billy was working with what he could, and the items the boy had access to weren’t exactly luxurious. Nonetheless, the bag was  barely better than nothing. 

Billy must have noticed something was wrong, taking one look at Thaddeus’ expression and asking, “What’s up?”, while hopping off the bench press he’d been lounging on while carelessly skimming some kind of boring fitness magazine. 

“I don’t know what to do with my  _ uniform _ .” Thaddeus muttered, making his way towards the gym’s exit. 

“Your uniform?” Billy questioned, head tilting. “What-” Billy’s eyes widened at the look Thaddeus gave him. “Oh— right…  **that** uniform.” He frowned, noticing how Thaddeus visibly tensed as an entering stranger brushed against Thaddeus’ bag while the pair walked outside. “Maybe you could throw it down a storm drain or something?” 

It was a decent enough suggestion, although Thaddeus was being substantially cautious. “A maintenance worker could notice it and have the police swarming this place in minutes.” 

Billy rolled his eyes. “I’m pretty sure there wouldn’t be any maintenance workers working in the drains past midnight.” 

“I highly doubt you know their schedules.” Thaddeus stiffly commented. 

“I  _ highly doubt _ a science recluse knows them any better.” Billy retorted somewhat miffed by the snideness, earning an unamused side-eyed glance. 

“Unless you plan on finding a way down the storm drains to check, I’m not risking potentially giving away my location.” Thaddeus coldly informed. 

“I’m not going down there,” Billy rejected with a scoff. “I can’t swim.” 

Thaddeus quirked a brow, glancing at Billy. “You can’t?” 

Billy frowned, crossing his arms somewhat defensively, reluctantly confirming in a mumble, “No,” He eyed Thaddeus, expecting a judgemental stare or demeaning comment. “I never really had time to take lessons or whatever between foster families and stuff.” He explained with a shrug, trying to seem nonchalant, because plenty of city kids didn’t know how to swim, right? It totally wasn’t anything to be a little self-conscious over at fifteen… Although telling himself that didn’t really make Billy feel any better. Ugh, Thaddeus was going to be a jerk about this, wasn’t he? Billy should have kept his mouth shut. 

“I see.” Thaddeus said simply, no trace of smugness in his tone or facial expression. 

For a moment, Billy didn’t reply, waiting for Thaddeus to add in a joke at the boy’s expense. When Thaddeus ultimately didn’t make any further comment surprisingly enough, Billy hesitantly inquired, “Can you swim?” Yeesh that was a lame conversation starter, wasn’t it? Billy needed to get better at this small talk stuff. 

“Yes,” Thaddeus answered, briefly recalling the pool in the backyard of his childhood home. “Although I’m not particularly fond of swimming considering my brother had a tendency to make it rather unpleasant.” Sid had dunked Thaddeus under that pool’s water several times and nearly drowned him once, and Thaddeus hadn’t swam since that  _ once _ despite how the panicky Sid had insisted it was an accident. 

“Oh.” Billy wondered what Thaddeus’ brother did to make it so unpleasant, still not quite sure as to why Thaddeus acted like his father and brother were such jerks. “Yeah, swimming seems sort of, uh,  _ unpleasant _ to me too since my first experience in the water pretty much included, you know… getting a little pneumonia after being kinda’ waterlogged and all that.” 

Thaddeus blinked, looking at Billy and noticing the boy’s vague smirk, realizing the boy was referring to a rather familiar incident and making light of it at that, although Thaddeus didn’t find it particularly funny. “The carnival?” Thaddeus asked just to make sure they were on the same page, recalling the way he’d held the struggling boy under frosty water by the nape of his neck. 

Billy nodded, smirk falling at the way Thaddeus frowned just slightly enough that Billy almost missed it, the younger dismissively adding, “Okay, so technically it wasn’t pneumonia— it was bronchitis.” Billy didn’t know why he felt the need to assure Thaddeus of that given how Thaddeus hadn’t shown an ounce of remorse whatsoever for the B.S. he’d put Billy and his family through, the boy assuming Thaddeus was just frowning simply because Billy was interrupting the peace and quiet again. 

Thaddeus didn’t feel as though bronchitis was much better, both being potentially serious. “You didn’t get frostbite or anything along the lines of that by any chance, did you?” It was a genuine question. 

Billy, however, didn’t register the question as a serious one, immediately taking it instead as Thaddeus shrugging it off and bringing up how it could have been worse. “No, I didn’t get frostbite, but getting a lungful of icy water wasn’t exactly pleasant.” Thaddeus probably wished he’d gotten frostbite. 

Thaddeus arched a brow at the change in tone. “I didn’t say it was.” Billy had expected Thaddeus to bitterly make a rude remark on his miffed retort, but Thaddeus didn’t. Oddly enough, Thaddeus sounded relatively calm, Billy expecting the older to return the snappiness. 

“You talk about how you never seriously had any actual intent to kill me and my siblings,” Billy said after a brief hesitation. “But it sure did feel like you were trying to drown me when you basically kept me submerged me in water that was, like, way below zero degrees.” Billy wasn’t sure as to why he felt the need to suddenly get so serious about something he’d just been making a joke about, because it wasn’t like he’d expected Thaddeus to actually find anything he said amusing, and Billy knew better than to expect an apology from the villain. 

“I occasionally allowed you to come up for air.” Thaddeus pointed out, because that had been no more than an intimidation tactic… or at least, that’s what Thaddeus told himself— he was fairly certain it had been an intimidation tactic rather than an attempt to kill, in any case; in all honesty, the memories from a year ago were substantially blurry, Thaddeus vaguely recalling how influential the Sins proved to be given how there had been times in which Thaddeus hadn’t known the difference between their musings and his own. 

“Oh gee thanks,” Billy sarcastically drawled. “I’m sure you totally wouldn’t hold any grudges if someone forced your face under freezing water as long as they let you come up for a little bit of air every once in a while.” 

Thaddeus’ frown deepened, noting Billy was once again looking anywhere but at him. “Have you considered learning how to swim with your previous foster family? I’d assume at least one of them would know how to teach you the basics.” He casually suggested in attempts to subtly steer the conversation back to swimming and away from that particular incident. 

“I get a little freaked out about deep water now, so no— it’s not really something I’m interested in learning anymore… like, at all.” Billy informed in a grumble, nearly being drowned being a rather traumatizing experience that kind of ruined the concept of swimming. 

Thaddeus was becoming more aware than he’d like to be that this mere  _ boy _ was who he’d dropped from the sky, and shocked with lightning, and nearly drowned— this  _ boy _ was who he’d relentlessly attacked alongside the Sins… not some thirty-year-old hero that was essentially proving to be a façade more than anything. 

“Swimming isn’t particularly all that entertaining anyway.” Thaddeus shrugged off in attempts to let Billy know he really wasn’t missing anything all that grand. 

“It seems kind of cool.” Billy rebutted under his breath, because he had actually  **really** wanted to learn how to swim before the very idea of being submerged in water became daunting and completely ruined for him. 

“Chess is better.” Thaddeus offered. 

“I seriously doubt that,” Billy scoffed, not seeing why Thaddeus felt the need to argue over this with him. “And I don’t know how to play anyway.” 

“Does the underpass have any chess boards?” Thaddeus prompted. 

Billy blinked, finally glancing at the ever so nonchalant Thaddeus, eyeing the older over quizzically. “It might— we have a few board games,” A pause, Billy wondering if he’d been misinterpreting Thaddeus’ comments. “Why?” 

Thaddeus arched a brow, feeling as though that should be obvious. “I reckon it would be a decent enough way to pass the time.” 

“Oh.” Billy averted his gaze again, looking down at his shoes as he walked. “I could check with Tawny— he knows where all the games and stuff are at.” 

Thaddeus gave a nod before pointing out, “Although chess generally requires two players.” 

“I don’t know who all at the underpass would know how to play,” Billy shoved his hands into his pockets. “But I guess I could ask around to find out or whatever if you want.” 

Thaddeus’ tilted his head as he seemed to briefly consider the offer. “Would you be interested in playing? I wouldn’t want to give someone the opportunity to potentially see through my disguise since chess requires close quarters for long stretches of time.” 

Billy looked at Thaddeus taken aback, the older glancing at Billy out of the corner of his eye, the younger perking up before practically deflating just as quickly, Billy looking off to the side and reminding, “I said I don’t know how to play.” 

“I wouldn’t particularly be opposed to teaching you, I suppose.” Thaddeus offered so dismissively, casually, and calmly that Billy almost didn’t catch what he’d said. 

“You wouldn’t?” Billy asked in semi-disbelief. 

“Assuming that you’d actually listen.” Thaddeus added, and it wasn’t as though Thaddeus was going easy on the boy here, he was just… getting someone to play chess with since he couldn’t very well play it alone— that was all. 

For the first time in all of Billy’s fifteen years, chess actually sounded interesting. “Okay… yeah— cool,” Billy gave a slight smile. “That could be kind of cool.” He straightened up a little, clearly in a better mood. “Maybe I could teach you how to play videogames sometime or something; do you know what Mortal Kombat is?” 

Thaddeus’ brow furrowed. “The arcade game?” 

“I mean, the newer versions are definitely a little more realistic and gory, but yeah— basically remakes and sequels of the old arcade game.” Billy confirmed with a nod. 

“Arcade games aren’t old.” Thaddeus stiffly stated. 

Billy smirked. “Right, right… a more accurate term would be ancient, or antique, or-” 

“Do you truly feel the need to go out of your way prove me wrong every time I begin to feel as though you might be somewhat tolerable?” Thaddeus interjected, although he didn’t sound particularly harsh or snide— in fact, Thaddeus  **almost** sounded  **slightly** amused. Mostly exasperated and a little annoyed, but also kind of amused. 

“Me being  _ tolerable _ is an upgrade from me being a  _ nuisance _ , right?” Billy cheekily replied, Thaddeus side-eyeing him, but not glaring at him despite the boy pushing his luck. “A minor upgrade, at least?” Billy negotiated. 

“Perhaps.” Thaddeus vaguely answered. 

Billy noticed Thaddeus didn’t goad his brazenness. In fact, Thaddeus didn’t sound angry at all. A little aggravated, maybe, but not nearly as irked as usual. 

“You know, you actually don’t seem all that bad either, really,” Billy said in attempts to return the notion that wasn’t quite a compliment, but was just about the closest thing to one that he’d gotten from Thaddeus. “You’re a little grumpy and all that,” Thaddeus narrowed his eyes, parting his lips to reply with a retort and- “But at least you’re not totally malicious; like, you can be kind of cool or whatever sometimes compared to uncle Eb and stuff— he’s always  **super** spiteful… it’s honestly obnoxious how much of a prick he can be,” Billy shrugged, rubbing the side of his neck. “I didn’t really know what to make of you at first, but you’re not so bad like… this.” Whatever  _ this _ was, Billy wondering if Thaddeus was just tired or something. 

The expectations were certainly low if Billy’s uncle was the measuring point, the corners of Thaddeus’ lips tugging downwards at how the boy was acting as though anyone who treated him somewhat better than Eb was decent enough. 

“You’re less arrogant than I’d initially assumed you were.” Thaddeus acknowledged in return after a brief pause. 

Billy almost couldn’t believe they were actually having a close to normal conversation. 

“If you want, I could take your jumpsuit thing and fly over to the other side of the city to stash it somewhere,” Billy broodingly offered after a stretch of silence. “That way the cops will search around there instead of here if they do end up finding it or whatever.” 

Thaddeus could detest Billy Batson as much as he wanted, but that wouldn’t change the fact that the boy was still being considerably nicer than he needed to be to someone who had dished out rather harsh treatment towards him and his family— regardless of whether or not Thaddeus wanted to acknowledge that the boy was undeniably considerate… Billy being substantially annoying didn’t quite change the fact that he was still going out of his way for the enemy here; Thaddeus could refuse to address Billy’s efforts all he wanted, but that didn’t mean Thaddeus could ignore those efforts since the teenager’s altruistic behavior was frankly baffling to Thaddeus and hard to not notice.

“Careful,” Thaddeus goaded, because he didn’t know how to deal with anyone showing an ounce of human decency to him, much less an arch-nemesis. “You seem to be getting rather comfortable with harboring a fugitive,” Thaddeus taunted, because he didn’t know how to deal with begrudgingly understanding the Wizard’s choice when it came to choosing a boy that wouldn’t even turn his back on an enemy in need of help. “You’re not going off and forgetting about the fact that you evidently plan on turning me back in after you deal with the higher-ups, are you?” Thaddeus chided, because he didn’t know how to deal with being at odds with someone when he’d wronged them first— it was easier to despise his family and the Wizard for their domino effects of wrongdoings, but when it came down to it Billy hadn’t violently started this dispute… Thaddeus had; Billy  **hadn’t** been an adult that did something bad and should have known better, the fact being that he’d just been a  **kid** minding his own business in actuality, and Thaddeus simply wasn’t used to such circumstances. 

So, Thaddeus provoked Billy, because it was easier to hate the boy when he made it clear that he hated Thaddeus right back. 

“I’m not a snitch,” Billy replied with a shrug nonetheless, starting to get at least somewhat of an idea of where Thaddeus was coming from, it becoming ever so slightly easier to determine what to expect from the older, Billy not quite being as easily caught off guard and miffed. “Maybe I’ll just forget to tell them or whatever if you end up not causing a bunch of trouble and stuff.” 

Thaddeus frowned, because Billy was  **supposed** to get annoyed by Thaddeus’ snideness and be annoyingly snide right back, but instead he was just… acting as though this was some kind of friendly banter; rather than threatening to turn Thaddeus in for not being cordial, Billy was instead implying he might very well let Thaddeus off the hook for whatever reason, and that just made Thaddeus  **really** not know how to approach this perplexing situation. Thaddeus glanced at Billy out of the corner of his eye, noting the boy’s faint smirk, Batson clearly pleased with himself given how he’d apparently figured Thaddeus out to an extent. Thaddeus certainly didn’t like the notion of anyone understanding him in the least, not at all fond of how he was generally perceived by most and not interested in any judgemental assumptions he predicted a teenager would likely make. 

“You won’t have to concern yourself over me causing any trouble here,” Thaddeus stiffly stated. “Given how I’ll be in Gotham soon.” He wanted to remind the boy that their truce wouldn’t last long, because the second Thaddeus set off for Gotham  _ Billy Batson _ would be no more than a meaningless name. 

“Maybe I’ll move to Gotham one day to team up with Batman or something.” Billy cheekily joked. 

“That’s not funny.” Thaddeus retorted completely seriously with an utterly unamused expression, Billy just smirking more at that, resulting in Thaddeus’ frown deepening. 

“It’s a little funny.” Billy mused with a shrug. 

“Hardly.” Thaddeus dryly denied. 

Billy couldn’t help himself. “ _ Hardly _ isn’t  _ not at all _ , so does that mean you find it just a  **tiny** bit funny, or-” Thaddeus gave him a sharp look, Billy letting out a snicker and relenting, “All right all right— I’ll stop.”

“Shocking.” Thaddeus scoffed, almost surprised the boy didn’t take the opportunity to push his luck. 

Kindly ignoring that comment, Billy mused, “So when are you going to Gotham anyway? Like, have you actually contacted this  _ Jon _ guy yet, or is that on your to-do list or whatever?” Billy diverted his gaze from the block they were turning, looking at Thaddeus inquisitively. 

Thaddeus hadn’t expected the conversation to take this turn. “It’s been a while since we’ve spoken,” Thaddeus answered with some hesitation. “We haven’t kept in touch for some time now, and…” Thaddeus trailed off, not knowing why he bothered telling the boy this instead of just ignoring his needless inquiries. “He isn’t exactly the easiest person to get ahold of.” Thaddeus explained vaguely with a simple shrug, admittedly not even knowing where to start with contacting his old friend. 

“Have you tried looking him up on Facebook?” Billy suggested, trying to be helpful. “Do you know his last name? There’s gotta’ be a ton of Jon’s…” 

Thaddeus side-eyed Billy. “I highly doubt he’d have Facebook.” 

“Well do you remember his phone number or address or anything like that?” Billy offered instead. 

“It’s been decades since we last spoke.” Thaddeus stated, that not being an exaggeration in the least. 

Billy raised a brow. “Seriously?” Thaddeus nodded. “Okay… Where did you guys meet? Or how did you meet or whatever? Maybe you could-” 

“I’ll figure it out.” Thaddeus interjected, doubting the boy would be able to assist him with this in any meaningful way. 

“I could help you track him down, though,” Billy persisted as the underpass came into view, his incessant desire to act as though he could be of any help becoming somewhat irksome to Thaddeus. “I mean, it took me eleven years, but I managed to track down my mom after she pretty much ditched me, which honestly probably should have taken, like, twenty years or something with the lengths she went to with basically disappearing off the grid and stuff,” Billy said in a way that sounded like it was supposed to be a lighthearted but didn’t sound like very lighthearted at all. “Technically I had Eugene’s help though, so maybe he could look into this Jon guy, too.” 

Thaddeus wasn’t quite as irked anymore, more contemplative than anything. “Do you know of any other family members outside of your parents and uncle?” 

Billy shook his head and swallowed dryly. “Nope— uncle Eb won’t even tell me anything about the rest of my family… I’m guessing he just doesn’t want me running off to be fostered by another more qualified relative.” 

“Why not simply live under the guise of the Wizard’s Champion?” Thaddeus inquired. “You wouldn’t have to concern yourself over potentially being found by your uncle if he couldn’t recognize you.” 

“Being a superhero is cool and all, but sometimes I just… you know…” Billy shrugged, not quite sure as to how to get across what he wanted to say. “...like being  **me** or whatever.” Billy rubbed the side of his neck, adding, “I shouldn’t have to hide from…” From someone who was supposed to take care of him. 

Thaddeus noted how Billy trailed off, not seeing a reason to make the boy feel as though he had to continue if he didn’t want to. “You shouldn’t.” He acknowledged simply, mostly aware of what Billy was trying to say. 

Billy blinked, staring at Thaddeus taken aback at the unexpected agreement. “I kinda’ assumed you’d believe it serves me right to be stuck with a complete jerk.” Billy joked somewhat seriously. 

“I don’t.” Thaddeus stated even more seriously, because he was accepting the fact that Billy Batson really was just a kid when it came down to it, and even the little nuisance didn’t deserve questionable incidents along the lines of familial induced burn marks. 

Billy’s smirk fell at the lack of snideness, realizing Thaddeus was actually being resolute, even his arch-nemesis that couldn’t stand him seeming to acknowledge that Eb was downright lousy. 

“Does uncle Eb remind you of your brother or dad or something?” Billy asked without even really considering the words that just sort of tumbled out of his mouth before he could even entertain the notion of catching the inquiry leaving his lips, the question slipping from his tongue only to be followed by immediate regret in allowing his intrigued assumptions to get the best of him, a dreadful concern that he’d just pushed his luck a little too far by being a little too personal sinking in, wondering if he’d just single-handedly ruined any inch of progress that had been built. 

The underpass the two were approaching suddenly seemed a whole lot farther away, the area that could provide a means of escape from this conversation becoming much too distant. 

At first, the question caught Thaddeus off guard, the boy earning a quirked brow. Then, the question settled in, and Thaddeus narrowed his eyes and clenched his jaw as his lips thinned, anger rising at the question Billy should have known was much too personal. Next, came the sharp glare Thaddeus sent Billy’s way, just about ready to snap back an icy reply about the boy’s infuriating lack of manners, tired of allowing Billy to push his luck and become much too brazen. 

After that, however, came the noticeable way Billy was anxiously keeping his gaze averted to the ground, and uncertainly chewing his lower lip, and gripping the straps of his backpack tight enough to turn his knuckles white. With that came the uncomfortable sense of familiarity that Thaddeus really didn’t want to feel whatsoever in regard to the boy, because Thaddeus didn’t want to acknowledge anything about such an absolute pest was the least bit relatable. Nonetheless, that didn’t stop Thaddeus from being reminded of things he’d really rather not recall quite frankly. 

Such as the littlest things setting his father off, for example, and feeling dread whenever he said something wrong around Sid that didn’t quite come out the way he wanted it to. Unpleasant consequences. Harsh reactions. So on and so forth. 

Thaddeus released an exhale that was ever so slightly annoyed, although his anger had dispersed nearly as quickly as it had risen, and- 

Billy visibly tensed at the sharp exhale despite Thaddeus diverting from his initial reaction, the older’s frown deepening, briefly pausing before answering in a voice he attempted to keep even, “Yes.” 

Billy glanced at Thaddeus, evidently expecting something quite a bit more stern. “Huh?” 

“Yes,” Thaddeus repeated, calmly but certainly not going out of his way to offer a reassuring or kind or friendly tone or anything of the sort, but he was still being calm, and that was certainly something. “Your uncle does bear some resemblance to my father and Sid, I suppose.” He acknowledged, recalling a multitude of experiences pertaining to careless accidents. 

Thaddeus noticed Billy was still noticeably tense, the boy clearly expecting some kind of outburst to follow. When it didn’t and Thaddeus simply remained silent, Billy hesitantly said, “ _ Sid _ ? Is that your brother’s name or something?” Thaddeus simply nodded. “Oh.” A pause. “What kind of  _ resemblances _ are you talking about, exactly?” When Thaddeus gave Billy a look, the boy quickly added, “Sorry— too invasive?” Thaddeus inclined his chin and returned his gaze forward without comment, Billy taking that as a  _ yes _ . “Right… my bad.” That was fair enough. “Sorry your family kinda’ sucked, too, or whatever.” 

Thaddeus glanced at Billy, looking the boy over before dismissively muttering, “An apology isn’t necessary.” It wasn’t as though Billy was responsible for things that had happened decades before he was born. 

“Sorry.” Billy blurted out on instinct more than anything, essentially apologizing for apologizing before he even had time to consider his words. “Sorry, I just meant-” Billy resisted the urge to facepalm himself for apologizing for that, too. 

“It’s fine.” Thaddeus spoke up, sparing the boy from embarrassment despite not generally being one to be particularly merciful, because he reckoned it wouldn’t hurt to return some of Billy’s cordial endeavors. 

Billy gave a nod of thanks, the pair crossing into the underpass. “So what about the rest of your family? You don’t really talk about your mom and stuff, or any other siblings.” 

“I have two twin sisters.” Thaddeus answered stiffly. 

Billy got the feeling that was just about all Thaddeus would reveal for the time being. “Twins, huh? That’s kind of cool.” Thaddeus scoffed. “Or not.” Were all of Thaddeus’ relatives jerks or something? “Have you ever been married? Like, do you have a wife or kids or anything like that?” 

“I was too busy working to consider the notion of seeking a potential spouse, and taking on the obligation of looking after a child isn’t something I’ve particularly put much consideration into.” Thaddeus dismissively informed. 

“What about friends? They can kind of be like family,” Billy prompted, because Thaddeus  **had** to have someone he viewed as more than just a mere acquaintance, right? “I mean, before Victor and Rosa took me in the only people that I really had were Tawny and aunty Min.” 

“Jon’s an old friend.” Thaddeus answered with a shrug. 

“Friends you’ve seen within the past decade.” Billy clarified, earning a look. “Come on, I can’t be your only friend-” 

“I would hardly call you a  _ friend _ ,” Thaddeus interjected, not wanting Billy to get  **too** familiar with him. “And even  _ acquaintance _ would be pushing it.” He added for good measure. 

“Oh gee thanks, Thad,” Billy replied in sarcasm, eyes rolling as he continued, “I really can’t figure out how anyone could ever resist being friends with someone that has  **such** a great and friendly personality— you really know how to be a socialite.” 

“At least I don’t habitually pester.” Thaddeus coldly retorted as the pair came upon the area Tawny had designated them. 

“At least I don’t try to drown people and give them hydrophobia.” Billy said right back, sitting criss-cross on his sleeping bag. 

“Aquaphobia.” Thaddeus stiffly corrected, sitting on his own sleeping bag, leaning back against the concrete structure behind him. 

“Whatever.” Billy grumbled while crossing his arms, not knowing why he even bothered trying to show an interest in getting to know Thaddeus when the older apparently viewed him as pesky whenever he spoke regardless of what he was speaking about. 

Thaddeus glanced at Billy from the corner of his eye, looking the boy over, the corners of Thaddeus’ lips twitching downwards ever so slightly. “Were you afraid of water before…” He trailed off. 

“Not really,” Billy mumbled. “I mean, yeah— it always seemed sort of daunting, but I was never actually terrified of it or whatever until the carnival and stuff.” Thaddeus’ brow creased somewhat, Billy adding, “I know you say you weren’t planning on actually drowning me and all, but at the time I was basically convinced I was a goner, and being out of breath while being repetitively dunked under freezing water with an iron grip on my neck obviously wasn’t very comforting.” 

Thaddeus frowned, reflexively glancing at the back of the boy’s neck, although it had been nearly over a year since that incident so of course there were no bruises to be seen. 

“Did you receive any significant injuries?” Thaddeus inquired, trying to sound offhanded, not wanting to come across as caring or something equally as preposterous. 

Billy returned the frown. “What?” 

“From our brawling,” Thaddeus clarified. “Did you receive any significant injuries?” A beat. “Other than bronchitis and whatnot.” 

“Oh.” Billy had been caught off guard by the question. “Uh, no… nothing super significant— only minor stuff, I guess? I just got a bruised rib cage, a sprained ankle, and a black eye, plus I’m pretty sure you almost broke my nose, but that was about it, so it was nothing serious.” 

Thaddeus just stared at Billy for a moment, not quite knowing what to say back before ultimately going with, “How precisely is that **not** _serious_?” 

“You didn’t actually break anything,” Billy answered with a shrug, rubbing his upper arm. “And I’m pretty sure having your eye gouged out is a lot more painful than a few little scrapes and stuff like that.” 

Thaddeus’ frown deepened. “That’s not-” 

“So do you wanna’ play chess or what?” Billy interjected, clearly not interested in further discussing the topic at hand. 

Thaddeus eyed Billy over, the boy avoiding eye contact as prevalently as ever. “It’s late,” Thaddeus muttered while laying down, not expecting Billy to actually sulk, the boy’s shoulders drooping, Thaddeus briefly pausing before dismissively stating, “We can play in the 

morning.” The way Billy perked up at that was almost amusing— not that Thaddeus actually found anything about the teenage delinquent the least bit entertaining, of course. 

“Okay,” Billy said while shuffling into his own sleeping bag, seemingly in a better mood by the sound of his tone. “Night.” 

Thaddeus cracked an eye open, the boy somewhat awkwardly offering a slight smile, still making an effort to try and be nice beyond all reason. 

“Goodnight.” Thaddeus muttered, not returning the smile yet at least acknowledging the cordial behavior. 

Thaddeus drifted off quickly enough, the pillow Billy had given him making quite a difference in comfort, but not doing much for the typical nightmares paired with familiar mantras of beckoning requests, the two words in question beginning to sound more like menacing demands and less like desperate pleas. 

**_Find us_ ** **.**

Thaddeus wasn’t the only one who had nightmares, though. 

Billy couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t escape. Couldn’t do anything. 

Billy couldn’t swim. 

Billy was sinking— sinking towards endless depths beneath frigid water, the bitter cold biting into his skin and residing in his bones, a dreadful ice-like sensation burning in the pit of his gut. He kicked and moved his arms to no avail, quickly plunging downwards at a tediously steady pace regardless of his efforts. His hands reached upwards, grasping no more than intangible water slipping through his fingers, not a thing in sight that he could cling onto in hopes of clambering out, the span of the watery abyss void of anything other than open waters. It felt like a weight was tugging him down by his very core, the surface of the raging ocean above becoming dimmer as lightning raged along the tossing tides. A blue so dark that it was almost black enveloped Billy, glimpses of ruby red eyes shining through the murky waters and circling him like sharks, although these things were so very much worse than sharks. 

Billy couldn’t hold his breath any longer— his lungs felt like they were about to burst, stinging with the weight of gravity that wrapped itself around him like chained weights. He parted his lips, icy water filling his mouth and blocking his throat, choking as he coughed out the little oxygen he had left, bubbles rising where he could not. 

“ _ Shazam _ !” Billy tried to call out, resulting in no more than a muffled gurgle, vision blurring with black dots and- 

And a hand gripped his shoulder with a shake. 

Billy jerked awake with a sharp inhale, reactively grabbing the wrist of the person grasping his shoulder. His mind buzzed as he tried to register what was going on, blinking a few times while he attempted to take in his surroundings and process whatever was happening, still waking up somewhat and not quite sure as to what was currently transpiring. 

Thaddeus raised a brow, tensing as Billy gripped his wrist, the boy’s breathing erratic. 

“I- I can’t- I couldn’t breathe.” Billy blurted, still trying to catch his breath, lungs burning as his airways seemed to lockup and spasm with every inhale, not allowing him to intake any significant amount of deprived oxygen. “I- I can’t-” His chest tightened sickeningly. 

“Sit up.” Thaddeus muttered, allowing the boy to cling onto his wrist until the younger shakily managed to sit upright completely. “Do you have asthma?” He inquired, prying his hand away from the younger’s hold. 

Billy shook his head and swallowed thickly. “Sometimes- sometimes I hold my breath in my sleep when- when I-” Billy was winded. “When-” 

“Steady breaths.” Thaddeus interjected in a murmur, reaching out to grip Billy’s shoulder, the boy briefly going rigid before tensely allowing Thaddeus to straighten his posture so he could take in more air. “Easy…” He mumbled, Billy just barely shivering under his touch ever so slightly, the shakes almost unnoticeable. “Inhale, hold the air, and exhale for five seconds.” Thaddeus instructed, hand retreating after a brief pause. 

“Five seconds each?” Billy asked, still out of breath, earning a nod and nodding back in understanding. 

Thaddeus eyed Billy over as the boy kept his gaze averted downwards, the younger inhaling shakily and tapping his fingers against his lap until reaching five seconds, holding it for five more before emitting a long and quiet exhale. After the fifth time, Billy visibly relaxed a little. 

“Bad dream, I presume?” Thaddeus commented. 

Billy gave a horse laugh. “Yeah— turns out talking about drowning right before you’re about to sleep isn’t really the best idea.” 

Thaddeus frowned. “I see.” So that’s what the nightmare had been about. 

Billy was still kind of frazzled, but had gathered himself for the most part. “Is that, uh… is that why you woke me up, or…?” 

Thaddeus straightened, chin inclining as he shrugged in nonchalance, dismissively answering, “You were making a fuss, and it woke me up.” 

Something about the way Thaddeus said that made Billy wonder if that possibly wasn’t the only reason he’d woken him up. “Thanks,” Billy said regardless. “For, uh, waking me up and all,” He didn’t meet Thaddeus’ stare, still somewhat shaken up and honestly a little embarrassed considering Freddy had been the only one that knew about his night terrors and he hadn’t really wanted his arch-nemesis to be the only other person aware of this. “And for helping me out with the breathing exercises or whatever.” 

Thaddeus looked Billy over. “Do you generally hold your breath in your sleep?” 

“No,” Billy answered, hesitantly admitting, “I didn’t start doing it until after the carnival thing, and the drowning nightmares were pretty normal for a while, but then they stopped— it’s been a few months since my last one…” 

So Thaddeus’ return probably prompted the nightmare’s return, then. 

Thaddeus knew he should feel a sense of satisfaction upon learning the fact he’d apparently instilled so much fear into his primary enemy. “Are you all right now?” Somehow, Thaddeus wasn’t the least bit satisfied about the way the boy had barely been able to breathe properly even when awakening. 

Billy blinked, finally looking at Thaddeus, clearly taken aback at the question, or perhaps a better word would be shocked. “Uh, yeah— yeah… I’m fine.” Billy’s brow furrowed, noticing Thaddeus looked a lot more serious than usual, which was really saying something. “Sorry for waking you up and stuff.” 

“An apology isn’t necessary.” Thaddeus stated more than assured, but Billy felt like it was possibly supposed to be a little reassuring, because why would Thaddeus bother telling him he didn’t need to apologize otherwise? The older man was basically telling him it was okay, wasn’t he? 

Billy noted the sun had just barely begun to rise. “Are you going back to sleep?” 

“No.” Thaddeus answered simply, clearly contemplating over… something. Then again, Thaddeus just seemed to be typically broody most of the time. 

“Yeah, me neither,” Billy yawned. “I usually can’t go back to sleep after crummy nightmares anyway,” Thaddeus’ brow creased at that, Billy not seeming to notice. “You wanna’ play chess now?” 

“Later.” Thaddeus answered while standing, not saying much else. 

“Oh.” Billy frowned as Thaddeus began to walk away without another word, not even bothering to state where he was going. “Okay…” Every time Billy felt like they might be making some progress, Thaddeus managed to prove him wrong. 

Billy sighed, pulling out his journalism homework and flipping through the slim stack of pages, trying to find an interesting worksheet to start with. A prompt regarding the ethics of allowing vigilantes free reign caught Billy’s eye, that seeming like an interesting enough topic to write a stance about. Maybe Billy could use Batman and Superman as examples— and even slip a little Shazam reference in there. Billy started on the outline, although he barely managed to finish the hook given how Thaddeus returned sooner than expected. 

“Here.” Thaddeus muttered, holding out a can of food. 

Billy lowered his folder, brow arching at the sight of the ration. “Oh— uh, thanks.” Billy replied, taking what usually tended to qualify as breakfast around the underpass. “You remembered I like Chef Boyardee?” Billy commented somewhat surprised, noting that’s what Thaddeus had given him. 

“Is that what you prefer?” Thaddeus casually mused. “Must have been a lucky pick.” He claimed with a shrug, glancing at Billy before walking over to his own sleeping bag. 

Billy couldn’t help but doubt the small gesture had been a random coincidence, a slight smile tugging at his lips. “What did you get?” This was the first time Thaddeus had done him a favor that didn’t seemingly hold any ulterior motives, and while it was a minor thing it was still… nice— it was nice to not have to be the only decent one. 

“Tamales.” Thaddeus answered, sitting on his sleeping bag. 

“I told you  **not** to eat those,” Billy objected in disgust. “They’re gross.” 

“Tamales are fine,” Thaddeus shrugged off, getting a spoonful. “And they didn’t have any of the canned pasta left in any case.” 

Billy frowned, looking down at the Chef Boyardee. “Yeah—  **real** tamales are good, but that stuff is barely a real…  **anything** .” Billy warned as Thaddeus took a bite of the tamale, and oh- 

Oh. That tasted absolutely foul. 

Thaddeus stifled a cough, Billy apparently finding his predicament amusing given his snicker, Thaddeus sending him a glare. 

“Is everything other than the pasta that revolting?” Thaddeus asked in disdain, setting down the can of alleged food in favor of drinking a considerable amount of water in attempts to get rid of the unpleasant lingering taste. 

“No, just the tamales,” Billy answered with a smirk while getting up. “Here— you can have half of mine.” He offered while walking over. 

“I don’t have much of an appetite anymore.” Thaddeus scoffed. 

Billy rolled his eyes, sitting next to Thaddeus, persistently holding out the can of pasta, earning a look. “You can’t find the Sins and outdo your favorite Wizard’s Champion on an empty stomach.” He jokingly persisted. 

“ _ Favorite Wizard’s Champion _ ?” Thaddeus skeptically repeated, taking the Chef Boyardee. 

“Yeah,” Billy confidently confirmed, cheeky as ever. “Out of all of us, you’ve gotta’ have a favorite, right?” 

“I’d hardly say  _ favorite _ would be a proper description.” Thaddeus dryly rebutted, the canned pasta at least being decent enough compared to the poor excuse for tamales. 

“Okay, fine,” Billy said with an eye roll. “The Champion you hate the least or whatever, then.” 

“And you assume that Champion’s you, do you?” Thaddeus challenged with an arched brow. 

“Well I mean, I guess it could technically be Darla,” Billy acknowledged with a shrug. “She’s kind of hard to hate.” 

“The younger sister?” Thaddeus inquired, earning a nod of confirmation. “She and Fredrick certainly talked a lot.” He commented not so fondly. 

“Freddy.” Billy corrected. “Darla can be a little overwhelming sometimes, but at least it’s in an endearing way or whatever.” 

“Endearing isn’t quite the word I’d use.” Thaddeus murmured. 

Deciding to be nice and ignore that comment, Billy continued, “Freddy can definitely ramble a lot and be kind of hard to keep up with, too, but a lot of the stuff he has to say can actually be pretty interesting with the trivia and all.” 

“I’m sure it’s all very fascinating.” Thaddeus said in dry sarcasm. 

“You’d probably get along Pedro,” Billy added, Thaddeus quirking a brow. “The oldest brother,” He clarified. “He doesn’t talk much.” 

“In that case, that’s the one I detest the least.” Thaddeus immediately stated without hesitation. 

Billy smirked at that, pondering a moment before adding, “Mary’s pretty smart and stuff, though— you’d probably be able to talk about Physics and stuff with her.” 

Thaddeus hadn’t really expected Billy to actually remember what he’d gotten his P.h.D. in considering the boy had initially been rather convinced Thaddeus was a businessman akin to his father and brother and grandfather and… essentially the entire Sivana household. “Is she majoring in science?” 

Billy hadn’t expected Thaddeus to show even a minimal amount of interest in what he was saying, assuming the older would simply ignore him in hopes he’d shut up. “Nope— she’s going into mathematics. That’s what you got your Masters in or something, right?” 

Thaddeus raised a brow; the boy did actually pay attention, then. “Probability and Statistics— so yes, essentially a concentration in mathematics.” 

“She’s looking into computational math, but even Eugene understands the stuff she talks about better than I do— he’s good with computers and techy things.” Thaddeus tilted his head at that, Billy clarifying, “Eugene’s the youngest brother.” 

“Computational math is a decent degree.” Thaddeus acknowledged, Billy smiling and nodding in agreement, Thaddeus noting how his expression fell rather quickly. 

“Yeah, it seems really advanced,” Billy agreed, brow furrowing as he looked off to the side. “We Skype a lot, but it would have been cool to get to know her a little better before she left for Cali; she was the first older foster sibling I had that actually felt like a big sister or whatever,” He rubbed the side of his neck. “I never really, you know…  **clicked** with any other foster kids before the Vasquez’s,” Billy’s stomach growled, the boy clearing his throat. “Sorry, I’m, uh, kind of venting, huh?” 

Strangely enough, Thaddeus wasn’t particularly annoyed by the boy’s rambling. “An apology isn’t necessary.” He dismissively replied, holding out the Chef Boyardee. 

Billy didn’t quite know how to react to Thaddeus  **not** taking the opportunity to voice his disinterest, blinking upon noticing there was hardly even a quarter of the pasta missing. “You barely ate any.” 

“I don’t have much of an appetite.” Thaddeus lied, not quite sure as to why he didn’t just eat his fair share regardless of whether or not the boy was evidently hungry, because it wasn’t as though it actually mattered to Thaddeus that Billy was hungry; Thaddeus had a perfectly good reason for lying about not having an appetite; he was just… had better things to do. Yes, that was it— Thaddeus simply had better things to do. Such as making his bed. Or sleeping bag. Whatever. 

Billy skeptically took the canned food, taking a bite and watching Thaddeus zip up his sleeping bag, the boy’s lips breaking into a grin as he asked through a mouthful of pasta, “Are you seriously making up your sleeping ba-” 

“Some of us prefer to be civilized.” Thaddeus interjected, Billy giving a snort of laughter as the older fluffed his pillow, Thaddeus giving him a sharp look. 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Billy snickered, not bothering to even attempt containing his amusement. “It’s just-” 

“You should be aware that every time I begin to feel the faintest smidgen of a notion in which you may possibly not be absolutely insufferable, you manage to almost immediately prove me wrong without fault by contradicting that notion entirely and proving you’re undoubtedly imprudent.” Thaddeus informed thoroughly unamused. 

Billy just seemed to be even more amused by that. “Oh so I’m the rude one for being a little cheeky but you’re allowed to monologue about me being insufferable, huh?” 

“It's rude to talk with your mouth full.” Thaddeus rebutted. 

“It’s rude to almost drown people.” Billy countered right back, the corners of his lips tugging upwards oh so brazenly. 

Thaddeus’ frown hardened, Billy’s expression falling, wondering if he should have toned down the bantering. When Thaddeus didn’t say anything and simply shook his head with an unreadable expression before turning his attention towards a magazine he’d left laying by his sleeping bag, Billy decided that silence was somehow worse than him making a snide comment. 

That silence stretched by, it becoming somewhat unbearably uncomfortable as Billy quietly poked at the canned pasta more than he actually ate it, eventually swallowing thickly and mumbling, “Sorry.” 

Thaddeus wearily released a sharp exhale, Billy gripping his spork just a tad bit antsy, keeping his gaze glued on the Chef Boyardee. 

“It was a fair enough point.” Thaddeus acknowledged after a brief pause. 

Billy frowned, because Thaddeus sounded a little annoyed, but at the same time he somehow didn’t sound all that upset at him, which didn’t really make a lot of sense. “It’s not like you actually ended up drowning me.” Billy commented, wondering if his mention of gaining a phobia of water possibly had something to do with this, because Thaddeus had been acting awfully funny ever since Billy brought that up; but that didn’t really make sense either, because it wasn’t as though Thaddeus would actually have any reason to care one way or another. 

“I’m aware.” Thaddeus informed, stating the obvious, because he hadn’t drowned Billy— but he had apparently traumatized him, or at least that seemed to be the most fitting word. That wasn’t supposed to bother Thaddeus, though, because he’d known what he was getting into when he’d realized the great Shazam was no more than a mere boy… Thaddeus had continued his attacks regardless, because the one and only important thing at that time had revolved around gaining the power the Wizard had deprived him of, and that hadn’t changed; Thaddeus’ primary goal to have the power of both the Wizard’s and the Sins remained first and foremost. 

That being said, Thaddeus had never anticipated having to deal with the consequences his actions would have on the hero in question. Villains weren’t supposed to see the hero as any more than an obstacle— Thaddeus wasn’t supposed to be forced to fully register the fact that Billy Batson was just a boy when it came down to it… Thaddeus was supposed to be able to ignore that. Traumatizing a hero was one thing, but having to see just how much that actually affected the hero? That was another thing entirely. 

And something that  **really** didn’t help put Thaddeus at ease was the way Billy kept dismissing the things he’d done. Sure— Billy would get miffed and call Thaddeus out on his B.S. every once in a while, but for the most part Billy acted as though Thaddeus’ attacks against him had been something that could simply be shrugged off, and that truly baffled Thaddeus more than any physics equation. At first, it had ticked Thaddeus off, the older initially assuming the boy was undermining his efforts. By now, however, it was frankly just a little concerning given how Thaddeus was beginning to realize Billy tended to make excuses for things he honestly shouldn’t; he was dismissing rather serious things simply because it technically could have been worse… 

It reminded Thaddeus of how there had been a time in which he’d justified his own family’s actions when he’d been too young to know better and not quite as cold and bitter as he was now— and Thaddeus was well aware of what excusing minor things could result in as they built up to something much more significant. 

Thaddeus loathed  _ Shazam _ , but the more time he spent around  _ Billy _ the more he began to fully register the fact that this  **boy** was the person he’d been fighting, and the hero had been a mask at most. The little heroic nuisance was annoying, but that didn’t particularly mean the red flags that Thaddeus was noticing weren’t somewhat concerning, because Thaddeus could be cold, and bitter, and uncaring… but he wasn’t completely awful, or entirely cruel, or absolutely villainous without some exception. 

Billy Batson was a heroic brat that had meddled with Thaddeus, stolen away everything from Thaddeus including his freedom along with any sliver of power, and made Thaddeus’ decades of hard work be all for naught. 

Billy Batson was also a fifteen-year-old boy with a burn mark on his arm, a phobia of water, and a reoccurring disregard towards making anyone take responsibility for any questionable incidents as long as those incidents only pertained to him personally. 

Thaddeus wouldn’t say he cared about Billy Batson in the least, but that didn’t mean Thaddeus wasn’t aware of when there was cause for concern when it came to things he was more familiar with than he’d like to be. 

“Do you wanna’ play chess yet?” Billy hesitantly spoke up, setting the empty can of Chef Boyardee off to the side, eyeing Thaddeus somewhat uncertainly. 

Thaddeus snapped out of his contemplating, glancing at Billy. “I just woke up.” He reminded, not particularly fond of being bombarded with interactions so early in the morning when there wasn’t even coffee available. 

“So?” Billy said right back without missing a beat, not seeming to mind the sun had just barely begun to rise. 

Thaddeus sifted through the nearby bag of necessities Billy had stolen from his uncle. “So I’d like to have a chance to actually get ready for the day.” 

Billy refrained from rolling his eyes at the grumpy tone. “Fine.” 

Thaddeus noted the miffed reply. “I wasn’t aware you were so keen on playing a board game with your arch-nemesis.” He goaded mostly smugly and just a bit amusedly. 

“You were the one that wanted to play chess in the first place,” Billy snapped, Thaddeus  **almost** smirking at the huffy attitude yet managing to maintain an even expression. “Sorry for showing an interest or whatever.” Billy sarcastically mumbled. 

“I was merely making an observation.” Thaddeus musingly claimed, earning a scoff from Billy. “Did you bring any floss or mouthwash?” He inquired, pulling out a toothbrush, toothpaste, and hand towel. 

“No.” Billy answered, earning a judgemental look and defensively saying with a slight glare, “What?” 

Thaddeus shook his head as he stood with a sigh. “Do you want to come along?” 

Billy frowned. “Huh?” 

“I’m assuming you want to accompany me.” Thaddeus elaborated given how the boy had practically made a habit of following him around like a lost pup. 

Billy blinked. “Oh.” A pause. “I kinda’ assumed you’d want me to stay here.” 

Thaddeus arched a brow. “That didn’t seem to stop you before.” When Billy hesitated, Thaddeus released an impatient exhale, because he wasn’t about to say he wanted the boy to come along when Thaddeus could quite frankly care less. “I was merely under the impression you were intent on keeping an eye on me given how you’ve hardly allowed me to forget that fact over the course of three days.” He nonchalantly explained with a shrug, because if Billy wanted to let him have some time to himself then Thaddeus would be more than fine with that, but if Billy wanted to accompany him then Thaddeus wouldn’t particularly mind all that much. “By all means, you’re more than welcome to stay here, but I don’t particularly feel like meandering.” Thaddeus added upon earning a quizzical stare rather than an answer from the boy. 

Billy continued giving Thaddeus a somewhat contemplative look, but ultimately stood up and walked over to grab his own toothbrush while commenting, “Yeah, sure— I guess I’ll come… since you’ve obviously gotten too attached to my hilarious jokes to go a second without hearing one and need to keep me around to make sure you don’t wallow in your own grumpiness.” 

Thaddeus scoffed, the cheeky boy more than a little amused as the older man sharply replied, “Can you stop being insufferable for one second and hurry up?” 

Just for that, Billy made a point of taking his time digging around for his toothbrush and toothpaste. “Can you stop acting like you have to say something super mean to me to keep up appearances every time you accidentally act a little nice?” Billy retorted, Thaddeus’ lips thinning and his jaw clenching, Billy glancing up at him and smirking at how Thaddeus apparently didn’t have anything to say back to that. “Thanks for waiting.” Billy oh so brazenly said just to further point out that Thaddeus was actually bothering to do so rather than waltzing off without him. 

“I’ll keep in mind to not ask you if you’d like to tag along anywhere again.” Thaddeus grumbled, Billy evidently finding that amusing given his brief laugh. Thaddeus glanced at the boy out of the corner of his eye in annoyance, eyeing over the smirking teenager. Thaddeus’ glare shifted into a frown, turning his gaze forward as he felt a rather perplexing sense of something akin to relief. 

Surprisingly enough, Thaddeus couldn’t help but prefer Billy’s cheekiness to his antsiness, and that was rather baffling considering Thaddeus found that very cheekiness quite irksome, although he supposed it was better than the boy being on edge, because… well, Thaddeus didn’t really know why he didn’t quite like Billy being on edge, because he should— Billy was his arch-enemy, and he should find satisfaction in any hardships the supposedly perfect Wizard’s Champion underwent. Thaddeus should want the hero to suffer, or at the very least not be bothered whatsoever by it. Although Thaddeus couldn’t help but notice that he was bothered by a few of Billy’s trials in some cases, even if he wouldn’t dare consider admitting so aloud. Most inconveniences Billy faced were actually quite amusing, but ones regarding battle injuries, and nearly drowning, and a certain uncle? Those in particular just didn’t seem very satisfying to Thaddeus in the least. 

When it came down to it, Billy’s cheekiness wasn’t all that bad compared to his dismissal of past events he really shouldn’t shrug off so easily; that was a baffling notion Thaddeus couldn’t quite rationalize as an enemy, but it was one he apparently held regardless perplexingly enough. Thaddeus decided that was solely due to him still having an ounce of human decency, and absolutely not because of anything else whatsoever, because it wasn’t as though Thaddeus actually cared one way or another— that would be utterly ridiculous. 

“Whatcha’ brooding about?” Billy asked through a mouthful of toothpaste, snapping Thaddeus out of his contemplating once again. 

“Nothing.” Thaddeus muttered around his toothbrush as Billy spit into the sink, the older tensing and moving away from the splatter, giving the unmannerly boy a glare of disdain. “You don’t brush long enough.” He disapprovingly commented, shifting away from Billy to avoid any stray toothpaste. 

Billy arched a brow. “What?” He looked at Thaddeus just to make sure he heard that right. “Seriously?” He scoffed in disbelief. “Geez, you sound like my dentist.” 

“By all means, go ahead and get cavities when you don’t have dental service at the underpass.” Thaddeus murmured with a shrug. 

Billy gave Thaddeus a look of annoyance, nonetheless emitting a sigh and putting more toothpaste on his toothbrush while sarcastically grumbling, “Okay  _ dad _ .” 

Thaddeus nearly choked on his toothpaste, Billy smirking around his toothbrush, Thaddeus sarcastically mumbling right back, “Very funny.” Billy stuck his tongue out at Thaddeus through a mouthful of toothpaste, the older’s nose crinkling in disgust as he maneuvered away from the boy somewhat. “Don’t be immodest.” He scolded, Billy snickering. 

When Thaddeus went to spit out his toothpaste, Billy leaned forward at the same time, Thaddeus immediately retreating and giving the boy a thoroughly irked look. 

“Yeesh, calm down,” Billy said, wiping his mouth with his sleeve, earning yet another judgemental look. “I’m not gonna’ get toothpaste on you, you germaphobe.” 

“Could have fooled me.” Thaddeus coldly retorted, drying his mouth with the hand towel he’d brought along, Billy’s eyes rolling. 

“You’re acting like I’m gonna’ make you sick or something when you’re the one that’s using the border collie’s toothbrush.” Billy said while walking towards the bathhouse’s exit. 

“ **Excuse me** ?” Thaddeus said in a way that made Billy predict that he had about five seconds before Thaddeus decided he didn’t need the Sins in order to succeed at killing him. 

“I’m joking,” Billy snickered, hands raising in defense at the glower Thaddeus was giving him. “The toothbrush was in a package,” He reminded reassuringly but no less amusedly. “You’re fine-” 

“I’d hardly say  _ fine _ would be an appropriate term given the stunts you tend to pull.” Thaddeus dryly stated. 

“Says the guy that sucker punched me from the stratosphere.” Billy retorted. 

“Says the delinquent that hit below the belt.” Thaddeus said right back without missing a beat. 

“You literally punched me first, but sure— me hitting you where it counts was totally uncalled for even though you basically almost broke my nose.” Billy drawled in sarcasm. 

It was easy to not care much about punching what looked like a cocky thirty-year-old punk. It complicated things just a tad bit when Thaddeus was being constantly reminded this child was who he’d been attacking in actuality. It had helped somewhat to assume the boy was solely an arrogant brat to offhandedly justify the times in which Thaddeus faced off against the mere kiddo that was no more than a teenager lacking Shazam’s form. Now, however, the boy was certainly cheeky, yet he was also certainly selflessly helping Thaddeus out quite a bit despite everything Thaddeus had done, and that made it ever so slightly harder for Thaddeus to brush off those very things he’d done. 

Getting to know your enemy… complicated things, to say the least. 

“Fair enough.” Thaddeus finally acknowledged, doing so dismissively, yet still acknowledging Billy’s rebuttal nonetheless. 

Billy’s jaw almost dropped. “Seriously? No comment on how it was actually my fault for not just transferring the power to you or whatever?” Thaddeus just gave him a glance out of the corner of his eye, realizing he was probably going to regret acknowledging that. “I’m pretty sure that’s the closest you’ve gotten to apologizing for-” 

“It wasn’t an apology.” Thaddeus interjected in denial almost immediately, earning a questionable stretch of silence, causing him to glance at Billy one more time, the corners of the boy’s lips tugging upwards just a bit smugly. “It wasn’t.” Thaddeus firmly repeated insistently, Billy parting his lips to say something, the older warning, “Don’t make me regret making an effort to tolerate you.” 

Billy smirked. “It’s really nice of you to make an effort.” 

“One more quip and I’ll be sure to never acknowledge another word from you.” Thaddeus snapped, because he wasn’t being  _ nice _ to this insolent brat. 

“You really  **do** have the impulse to say something grouchy immediately after you slip up and say something a little nice, huh?” Billy quipped nonetheless, earning a slight glare. “What? Don’t like being called out?” Billy chided, quite pleased with how he’d apparently done a pretty good job with figuring Thaddeus out. 

“I don’t particularly like being analyzed.” Thaddeus stiffly informed. 

“So my  _ analysis _ was correct, then?” Billy continued to pester. 

“Not in the least.” Thaddeus coldly denied. 

Billy gave a nod while seeming to ponder on something, the boy going quiet at that— briefly. “My analysis is telling me you’d lie about that since-” 

“Your analysis is wrong.” Thaddeus unamusedly claimed. 

“My analysis told me you’d say that.” Billy said without missing a beat. 

“You’re feeling particularly bold today.” Thaddeus noted aloud in annoyance. 

“Too cheeky?” Billy questioned as they approached the underpass, earning a nod and a look as though that should be obvious, the boy ultimately letting up some. “Sorry— guess I’m in a good mood.” Thaddeus  **finally** wasn’t being  **completely** standoffish, and Billy decided it was good to feel like he’d made some amount of  **real** progress with the older, no matter how small. 

“Obviously.” Thaddeus muttered with an eye-roll. 

“What puts you in a good mood?” Billy inquired, admittedly intrigued. 

“This is my good mood.” Thaddeus sarcastically replied, the corners of Billy’s lips tugging upwards in amusement, and… well, Thaddeus decided it wasn’t entirely awful to have the boy find his sarcasm entertaining rather than insulting. 

“Come on, seriously,” Billy persisted, stubborn as ever. “You said you like to cook and read, right?” Again, Thaddeus hadn’t expected the boy to actually remember that. “What else puts you in a good mood or whatever?” 

“Peace and quiet.” Thaddeus dryly answered. 

“Okay, fine— what kind of  **fun** stuff puts you in a good mood?” Billy corrected. 

“I find being unbothered rather  _ fun _ .” Thaddeus claimed, Billy letting out a heavy exhale that seemed just a bit dramatic, really. 

“Is there anything you actually  **like** to talk about at least? Or does every possible discussion topic annoy you?” Billy questioned, arms crossing. 

“Scientific theory, anthropological speculation, innovative technology, hypothetical math, unsolved paradoxes, analytical belief systems, and concepts regarding the unknown.” Thaddeus said without falter. 

Billy gave the rather smug Thaddeus a look, Thaddeus inclining his chin pleased by the silence that followed and- 

“So you like talking about creative techy stuff, things that could possibly happen but never actually happened or got recorded, how stuff from the past or whatever might have gone down, and stuff no one’s really certain about.” Billy eventually said after a moment. 

Dang it. “Essentially, yes.” Thaddeus acknowledged, giving the boy a quizzical look, brow arching questioningly. 

“I like journalism,” Billy reminded with a shrug. “I’m good with wordy stuff or whatever— even if I’m not the best at explaining that stuff, like… out loud; I’m better at actually getting across what I wanna’ say when I have time to write it down, I guess.” The point in case being that Billy could generally manage to get an understanding of needlessly presumptuous phrasing. “I’m failing algebra though, so you’re out of luck if you wanna’ have a conversation about mathematical crap.” 

“How tragic,” Thaddeus replied in dry sarcasm. “Math’s the only thing I’m currently interested in discussing at the moment.” 

Billy rolled his eyes, finally relenting, “Right, got it— I’ll shut up.”, as the two approached their setup beneath the underpass. 

“A doubtful promise.” Thaddeus skeptically mused, Billy giving him an annoyed look. “What’s wrong?” Thaddeus goaded. “Have something to say?” 

“Okay,” Billy huffed. “You know what-” 

“Stunning— you managed to go approximately five seconds without talking,” Thaddeus smugly interjected. “I’d say that’s a record.” 

“You’re a jerk.” Billy grumbled, sulking more than seething. 

“You get miffed rather easily, don’t you?” Thaddeus continued to taunt. 

“Well  **you** act like you don’t wanna’ talk and then provoke me until I say something whenever I try to be nice and give you some  _ peace and quiet _ .” Billy snapped, not quite angry, yet definitely a bit aggravated, fairly certain Thaddeus was just trying to push his buttons on purpose. 

“Outstanding observation.” Thaddeus evenly replied, not an ounce of sincerity in his tone. 

“And  **I’m** the  _ insufferable _ one.” Billy said under his breath. 

“You’re mumbling.” Thaddeus chided oh so calmly. 

“Screw off.” Billy spoke up, Thaddeus almost smirking at that. 

“I wasn’t aware the Wizard’s Champion was supposed to have such a temperamental behavior.” Thaddeus tsked. 

“Yeah, well the Wizard made it pretty clear desperate times called for desperate measures, so I wouldn’t be surprised if I don’t exactly meet all the  _ heroic _ qualifications or whatever.” Billy scoffed, his mildly annoyed demeanor immediately shifting into a rather upset one at the mention of the Wizard. 

Thaddeus arched a brow. “What’s that supposed to mean?” He inquired without snideness, still not quite sure as to how exactly Billy’s encounter with the Wizard had played out, uncertain as to what the boy was referring to. 

“Nothing.” Billy haughtily answered, storming towards his sleeping bag. 

Thaddeus paused, head tilting. “It doesn’t particularly sound like nothing.” 

“Didn’t you say you weren’t interested in talking about anything unless it was mathematics?” Billy pointed out, sitting on his sleeping bag and crossing his arms. 

Thaddeus could simply ignore this and allow Billy to cool off while he took the opportunity to read something with some peace and quiet. “I’m aware the Wizard wasn’t particularly pleasant.” Thaddeus didn’t know why he felt the need to say that, because this didn’t concern him, and he could just leave this whole thing alone given how it wasn’t as though he had any obligation to confront it. 

“So what?” Billy retorted just a tad bit sourly. 

Thaddeus was aware he should feel irked by the boy’s disrespectful tone. “So you’re clearly still a bit hung up over the encounter.” Perplexingly enough, Thaddeus didn’t feel irked by the boy’s behavior in the least— possibly because he’d prompted it. 

“Yeah,  _ so what _ ?” Billy repeated with a slight glare. 

Thaddeus wouldn’t sympathize with Billy Batson. “So I suppose we’re on common grounds in that regard.” Thaddeus would acknowledge a sense of familiarity when it came to this, though. “I reckon that could be a potential conversation starter,” Thaddeus explained with a nonchalant shrug when Billy gave him a quizzical look. “Considering you were trying to find discussion points regarding topics we had in common and whatnot.” 

Billy frowned. “I don’t really wanna’ talk about the Wizard.” 

That was a relief. “I’m not keen on discussing him either.” Thaddeus agreed. 

Billy’s brow furrowed, the corners of his lips tugging downwards. “So why bring him up?” What was Thaddeus getting at here? 

Thaddeus didn’t know what he was getting at here. “Simply making an observation.” He vaguely answered. 

Billy wondered if Thaddeus had noticed he’d gone a bit too far for Billy’s liking and was thus doing… whatever  **this** was. However, that didn’t make sense to Billy, because he doubted Thaddeus would care if he’d gone too far when it’s not as though he had any reason whatsoever to care about upsetting the boy in the least. Maybe Thaddeus just wanted to make sure he didn’t push his luck too much and consequently have Billy retort by calling the cops to alert them of his location. 

When Billy just averted his gaze to the side without replying and made a point of not meeting Thaddeus’ gaze, the older man paused before deciding to leave it at that and take a seat on his own sleeping bag. Thaddeus aimlessly sifted through the magazines Tawny had lent him, hesitating before subtly glancing at the boy quietly staring at the dancing flames of a nearby burn barrel. Thaddeus’ frown deepened just a tad, quietly emitting an exasperated sigh; Billy looked like he was on the verge of becoming exceedingly overwhelmed. Thaddeus straightened up, deciding he was doing this  **only** because he himself was personally a little bored, and certainly not for any other reason whatsoever— the fact that he was saying this almost immediately after noticing the state of Billy was absolutely by pure coincidence. 

“Would you be interested in playing that chess game now?” Thaddeus evenly inquired. 

Billy blinked at the unexpected offer, perking up at that just a little, clearing his throat and swallowing thickly. “Sure,” He mumbled with a nod, rubbing his upper arm. “I’ll go see if Tawny has any chess boards.” He said while getting up, once again tearing his gaze away from Thaddeus’, seeming to have trouble maintaining eye contact for the time being. 

Thaddeus opened up the beach bag Billy had given him to keep his things in as the boy walked off, digging through his belongings to ensure his prison uniform was still in there. He relaxed somewhat and released a breath of relief at the sight of the familiar inmate clothing. Good… no one had gotten into his things and- 

“Hey, you’re that new Jon guy, right?” An unfamiliar voice spoke up. 

Thaddeus tensed and quickly closed the beach bag, looking over his shoulder at the approaching stranger. “Yes,” He hesitantly answered, pausing before standing. “And you are?” He asked with an inclined chin, arms crossing. 

“Dudley, but everyone around here calls me Mr. H,” The rotund man with a receding hairline and bushy white eyebrows greeted, seemingly a bit older than Thaddeus. “Tawny said you’re a friend of Billy’s?” He had on a silver watch, baggy jeans, tattered beige sneakers, and a red tank top. 

“I am,” Thaddeus confirmed with a nod, eyeing over the man with dark blue eyes in attempts to figure out what to make of him. “I assume you are as well?” 

“Oh almost everyone here’s a friend of Billy’s,” Mr. H said with a grin. “We practically raised the kiddo for eleven years,” He held out his hand, the ever so stiff Thaddeus somewhat reluctantly taking it. “Pretty much all of us keep an eye on him,” He added while giving a rather firm shake that was just a tad bit too tight. “We’ve gotta’ look out for the kiddos here, after all.” He said in a stern kind of way that didn’t quite match his smile. 

Thaddeus vaguely returned a forced smile that hardly resembled a smile. “Is that so?” 

“Sure is,” Mr. H confirmed, not letting go, the grasp becoming uncomfortably achy. “Billy ever tell you about any of the punks we’ve dealt with around here that gave some of the kids trouble? There’s some real entertaining stories about how we handled them.” He said with a lighthearted chuckle to guise that not so lighthearted statement. 

“Can’t say that he has.” Thaddeus swallowed dryly, throat clearing. “You certainly have a firm grip.”  _ Hint-hint _ . 

“Oh, right— sorry, my bad; I get that a lot,” Mr. H said with a seemingly faux smile, hand finally retreating, Thaddeus crossing his own arms behind his back. “You know, there’s usually a bit of a process as to who all we let in our community,” Mr. H informed, arms crossing. “Just to ensure newcomers are good people who won’t go around causing trouble for the rest of us and all that,” He eyed Thaddeus over, keeping up a smile that somehow didn’t seem very friendly. “Billy vouched for you though, so that was  **real** nice of him.” 

“It certainly was.” Thaddeus simply agreed with a nod, not quite wanting to say much else that would encourage furthering this conversation. 

“It’s kind of funny how he never mentioned you, huh?” Mr. H mused while stepping forward, Thaddeus’ chin inclining. “Considering I don’t recall ever hearing about any  _ Jon _ guy,” His smile was all teeth. “You almost seemed to come out of the blue.” 

Thaddeus gritted his teeth, attempting to mask his annoyance. “We really haven’t known each other for long.” 

Mr. H gave a nod, briefly considering something for a moment. “You’ll, uh, have to pardon my observation, but some of us couldn’t help but notice you two don’t seem to get along all that well sometimes, either,” He studied Thaddeus. “Hope that’s not a cause for concern, if you know what I mean.” He laughed as though it was a joke, although Thaddeus was more than aware it wasn’t. 

Thaddeus narrowed his eyes, otherwise maintaining his composure. “I’ve been somewhat strained under these new circumstances, so I suppose there’s been a few exasperating conversations here and there, but I can assure you there’s certainly no cause for concern.” Thaddeus loathed Billy, but that didn’t change the fact he had no desire to kill or harm him if it could be avoided— he just wanted the power he rightly deserved… that was all. 

“Right,” Mr. H said with a nod in a way that made it sound like he didn’t quite believe Thaddeus. “I guess I just hope you’re keeping in mind that this kid’s really sticking his neck out for you by telling Tawny you deserve a spot here,” Mr. H paused, barely bothering to keep up his smile as he gave Thaddeus a pointed look before emphasizing, “And I’d really hate for something to happen to Billy’s credibility since he’s a real good kid, and I’d hate it even more if something were to happen to him, you know?” 

“I’m taking it you tend to look out for him quite a bit?” Thaddeus noted, not wanting to say anything that could be incriminating. 

“Oh definitely,” Mr. H confirmed with a nod and grin. “I, uh, used to be on the rough side of the tracks, if you get my drift— you know, working in the business of conning and blackmailing some pretty significant people and all that,” Thaddeus decided that was a bit too vague for his liking, wondering if this man was referring to independent endeavors… or possibly organized crime, which Thaddeus  **really** wanted no part of whatsoever. “Unfortunately, I got myself in a pretty tight spot with some not so nice guys, so some stuff ended up going down, and next thing I knew I was in the slammer,” Thaddeus decided he preferred the much more welcoming Tawny and aunty Min to this guy. “After I got out, I found my way here, and these people? These people are some of the  **only** people I’ve never done wrong, and never will— including Billy,” Mr. H’s smile reminded Thaddeus more of a wolf baring its teeth than a friendly grin. “And I just like to make it  **real** clear to newcomers that they better not do anyone wrong here either… just to make sure everyone’s on the same page, of course,” Thaddeus couldn’t help but feel as though Mr. H was looking right through him as he asked, “So you don’t mind me asking, right? If you plan on causing any trouble, that is.” 

Thaddeus didn’t falter, calmly lying, “Of course not.” 

Mr. H’s smile widened, and somehow it looked even less genuine. “Well That sure is good to hear, because if anyone caused Billy any sort trouble then I’d have to-” 

“Hey, Mr. H,” Billy greeted, Thaddeus actually feeling relieved to see the nuisance for once. “What’s up?” He asked, turning the older man’s attention off of Thaddeus and onto him. 

“Oh hey there, Billy!” Mr. H greeted with a much more sincere grin. “I was just getting acquainted with your pal Jon here!” He noticed the chessboard tucked under Billy’s arm. “You play chess now?” 

Billy shook his head while setting the chessboard down near Thaddeus’ sleeping bag. “Jon said he’d teach me how to play.” 

Mr. H quirked a brow. “Is that so?” Billy nodded. “Well it sure is good to see you two getting along,” He paused, examining Billy quizzically. “You’ve been doing all right these last few days, then?” 

“Yeah, definitely,” Billy said without hesitation, surprisingly enough. “I’m doing fine.” He assured, Thaddeus noting the way the boy pulled his sleeve lower over his burn mark. 

Seemingly satisfied with the answer, Mr. H chuckled, “That’s good to hear,” He patted Billy’s shoulder, giving a gentle squeeze. “Don’t hesitate to tell me if you need anything now, you hear?” Billy smiled, giving a nod of thanks. “Oh,” He looked over his shoulder at Thaddeus. “And nice meeting you, Jon.” 

“The pleasure’s all mine.” Thaddeus said without an ounce of sincerity as Mr. H began to walk away. 

“You ready?” Billy asked, sitting criss-cross and taking out the chess pieces. 

“I wasn’t aware you apparently have a mob boss looking after you here.” Thaddeus sarcastically muttered, sitting across from Billy and gathering the black chess pieces. 

“Huh?” Billy arched a brow. “Who?” When Thaddeus just gave him a look, Billy blinked. “Mr. H?” Billy laughed taken aback. “He can seem kind of intimidating, I guess,” Billy acknowledged with a shrug. “But he’s basically harmless,” He assured while categorizing the white chess pieces, an amused smirk playing on his lips. “He’s honestly just, you know… a gentle giant once you get to know him and stuff.” 

Thaddeus scoffed, turning over the chessboard to its checkered side. “I doubt you’ve ever been on his bad side.” 

“I mean, he cussed me out pretty badly when I was  _ Shaz _ one time since I was performing lightning tricks for tips near the corner he usually begs for tips,” Billy snickered. “If that counts or whatever,” Billy glanced up at Thaddeus, jokingly adding, “Maybe you two could bond over hating my alter ego.” 

“Perhaps.” Thaddeus muttered, that at least being one thing he had in common with the somewhat menacing man. 

“So how do you play?” Billy asked, rolling a white chess piece between his hands. 

“Do you know the names of the chess pieces?” Thaddeus inquired. 

“Sort of,” Billy mumbled. “This is a pawn,” He said, pointing to one of the pieces. “And that’s a knight… and this is the queen, and that one’s the king; there’s something called a bishop or whatever, right?” 

“You mixed up the queen and king.” Thaddeus informed. “That’s a bishop, and these are rooks.” He explained, pointing to the chess pieces in question. “Do you know how to set up the board?” 

“You start off with two rows each, and the pawns go in the front, and the king and queen are supposed to be together in the middle spaces of the back row, and… the rest go… somewhere in the back… on the sides of the king and queen?” 

“The pair of bishops go on either side of the king and queen, and the pair of knights go beside the bishops.” Thaddeus advised as Billy began setting up his side of the board. 

“So the brooks are on the outside of the back row?” Billy asked just to make sure, earning a nod of confirmation. 

“And you understand the goal of the game?” Thaddeus prompted. 

“You want to capture the queen and king to get a checkmate, right?” Billy answered a bit unsurely. 

“You want to corner the king until the only moves he can make would result in being captured,” Thaddeus corrected. “That’s checkmate.” 

“Oh.” Billy mumbled, hoping this wouldn’t be too hard to remember since he doubted Thaddeus would want to repeat himself. “So what kind of moves can the chess pieces make?” 

“A pawn can move forward two spaces the first time you move one, and one space after it’s been moved, and it can capture enemies two spaces diagonal from it as long as they’re in front of it rather than behind. A knight can make an L shape by moving two spaces horizontally and one space vertically, or two spaces vertically and one space horizontally, and it can jump over other pieces. A bishop can move as far as you want it to diagonally, but it can’t bypass any chess pieces blocking its path. A rook can move as far as you want it to horizontally or vertically, although it also can’t bypass any chess pieces blocking its path. The queen can move as far as you want her to in any direction, however she can’t bypass any chess pieces blocking her path either. The king can move one space in any direction as long as nothing’s blocking his path.” Thaddeus answered without falter. 

Oh boy. “Okay...” Billy said with some hesitation. 

“Those are the basic moves.” Thaddeus informed. 

“The  _ basic _ moves?” Billy questioned in disbelief. 

Thaddeus nodded before continuing, “ _ Pawn promotion _ occurs if a pawn makes it to the far side of the board, and can be changed into a chess piece of your choosing.  _ Castling _ can be done if both the king and a rook haven’t been moved whatsoever, there are no pieces between them, and the king isn’t in check— it allows the king to move two squares toward a rook, and places the rook on the other side of it.  _ En passant _ is when a pawn uses its first turn to move forward two spaces and lands beside an enemy pawn, which allows the enemy pawn to capture it and move to the space behind the captured pawn if done immediately thereafter.” 

Billy was already overwhelmed. “What’s the difference between check and checkmate?” 

“Check refers to the king being under attack, but still able to move one way or another without being captured.” Thaddeus elaborated. “Do you 

know what ranks are?” 

Seriously? There was  **more** to this? “No.” Billy admitted, honestly a little surprised Thaddeus was taking the time to explain this without sounding incredibly demeaning, annoyed, or impatient. 

“They’re how you refer to the checkered spaces,” Thaddeus stated. “The bottom row are the letters  _ A _ through  _ H _ , and the side rows are the numbers  _ one _ through  _ eight _ ,” He pointed at Billy’s lower left-hand lower corner. “This is your A1.” 

Okay— Billy could understand that part at least… “So this would be H8, right?” He asked just to make sure, pointing to the upper right-hand corner. 

“Yes.” Thaddeus confirmed, eyeing Billy over, trying to get a sense of how much the younger actually understood. “Any other questions?” Billy hesitated, but ultimately shook his head at that despite Thaddeus being fairly certain he did have some further inquiries. “You’re ready to play, then?” 

Billy nodded ever so unconvincingly. “Sure.” 

And so, they played. 

Thaddeus managed to beat Billy in only six moves the first time. The second time, Thaddeus managed to beat Billy in less than three minutes. The third time, Thaddeus ended up with over three-quarters of Billy’s pieces before beating him, the boy only having one of Thaddeus’ pawns. 

“You’re only moving your pawns and queen.” Thaddeus observed aloud as they set up the board for a fourth round, finally breaking the silence. 

A pause. “I don’t remember how the others are supposed to move.” Billy reluctantly admitted, knowing Thaddeus probably wouldn’t be very keen on repeating himself. 

Instead of earning a snide taunt or annoyed sigh of impatience, Thaddeus simply pulled a pen and notebook out of the nearby beach bag. Billy frowned, wondering if Thaddeus had gotten tired of him not offering much of an entertaining challenge given how the older seemed to just be essentially ignoring him in favor of writing about… whatever it was he was writing about. Maybe this was Billy’s cue to leave since Thaddeus wasn’t even bothering to acknowledge- 

“Here.” Thaddeus spoke up, holding out the paper. 

Billy blinked, taking it and raising a brow upon realizing it was a set of instructions regarding the basic chess piece movements. “Oh.” Billy hadn’t expected Thaddeus to actually take the time to write it out. “Thanks.” Billy was more than relieved to have a little extra help. 

Thaddeus nodded, gesturing for Billy to make the first move since he was the beginner. “Do you need to know anything else?” 

“No…” Billy eventually answered after a beat, moving a pawn to A4.* “Not right now, anyway…” 

“All right.” Thaddeus acknowledged surprisingly patiently, moving a pawn to G5. 

“Is this your favorite game?” Billy mumbled, moving another pawn to H4. 

“I don’t generally have much time for games,” Thaddeus murmured, moving a different pawn to B5. “So yes, I suppose it would be.” 

Billy noted that Thaddeus didn’t seem to mind his comments, the older not acting annoyed about the younger’s talking. “Do you like poker?” Billy hesitantly asked, glancing down at the paper Thaddeus had given him before moving a rook to A3. 

“Poker?” Thaddeus inquired quizzically, brow quirking at the boy as he moved another pawn to A6. 

“You have a good poker face,” Billy explained with a shrug, moving the rook to E3. “Like, I never know when you’re making a good move or if I’m making a bad move or whatever since you don’t really let it show.”

Thaddeus couldn’t help but smirk at that, the corner of his lip just barely tugging upwards. “You’re doing decently enough,” He offhandedly commented, moving a knight to F6. “Given how you’re using more than your pawns and queen now.” Billy gripped his rook, but paused upon realizing that  **almost** sounded like a compliment, glancing at Thaddeus and noticing the older was smirking, but he looked more amused than smug— it  **nearly** looked like a smile. “Do you have another question?” Thaddeus asked, brow raising higher. 

Billy blinked, not meaning to essentially stare at Thaddeus in shock, throat clearing as he moved his rook to E4. “No— sorry…” 

“No need to apologize.” Thaddeus mused while maneuvering his knight towards Billy’s rook. 

Billy practically bristled. “Wait— no… c’mon, don’t-  **dangit** .” He sighed as Thaddeus took his rook, looking just about ready to give up and- 

“You have a fairly advantageous move.” Thaddeus oh so mercifully advised upon noticing Billy’s frown. “I’m not going to simply show you what it is— you have to figure it out yourself.” Thaddeus firmly informed upon earning a rather lost look. “And you can take your time.” Thaddeus added for good measure as Billy uncertainly reached for the E2 pawn, the older man aware the boy was rushing. 

Billy paused and furrowed his brow, staring at the chessboard for a moment before perking up, moving his D2 pawn to D3 so he could take Thaddeus’ knight. “Is that right?” 

“Yes.” Thaddeus confirmed, Billy’s lips tugging upwards as he took the chess piece shaped like a horse. 

“You’re really good at this, huh?” Billy spoke up as Thaddeus reached for his G7 pawn. 

Thaddeus paused, not expecting the boy’s… compliment? “You’re making progress,” Thaddeus acknowledged in return after a moment, assuming that should be a proper enough reaction. “Given how you’ve managed to capture something other than a pawn.” Thaddeus moved the piece to G6. 

Billy wondered if chess just mellowed Thaddeus out or something— the older hadn’t said a single mean thing since they’d started playing. “This is actually kind of fun.” Billy commented, moving his C2 pawn to D2, forgetting pawns could only move forward and not sideways. 

Thaddeus briefly recalled how this board game had been anything but fun when his father had insisted he should learn how to play a gentleman’s game to improve his intellect and strategy; there had been dozens of frustrated scoldings and demeaning chastises that the impatient old man had sharply spat out whenever Thaddeus made a mistake due to not remembering something from the start. 

“You can’t move pawns sideways.” Thaddeus reminded significantly calmly. 

“Oh— right. Sorry, my bad.” Billy apologized, moving the piece back and debating on his next move. 

Admittedly, this game of chess was much more pleasant to Thaddeus than the games he’d grown up with, so yes… he reckoned this was  _ fun _ . 

When Billy lost yet again, Thaddeus couldn't help but notice the boy certainly wasn’t a sore loser— unlike Sid, who generally reacted to defeat by dishing out a degradingly dismissive insult or using it as an excuse to start an unpleasant roughhousing session. 

“I got a pawn  **and** a knight.” Billy proudly pointed out despite Thaddeus checkmating him as well as having the boy’s rook, queen, and a number of his pawns. 

“You weren’t awful,” Thaddeus admitted somewhat amusedly. “For a beginner.” 

Billy practically beamed at the comment before smirking while pointing out, “ **And** you didn’t say a single mean thing to me for like, fifteen minutes or a half an hour or whatever.” He personally felt like that was an accomplishment, too. 

Despite that being a joke, Thaddeus couldn’t help but feel… not particularly amused, much less very good at all about that comment, or even smug at that. Which was new— Thaddeus wasn’t supposed to care about coming off as  _ mean _ around this brat, because after all the trouble Batson had caused Thaddeus reckoned the only thing the boy deserved from him was contempt. Although the contempt was admittedly not at its strongest, and that was… certainly peculiar, because it wasn’t as though Thaddeus cared in the least for the boy, such a notion being rather preposterous. Thaddeus had no reason whatsoever to deny the fact he found Billy substantially annoying more than anything; however, in truth that annoyance was now full of more weariness than rage. 

This shift was subtle, and minor, and not at all quick, but more than anything it was concerningly new, and Thaddeus certainly wasn’t familiar with it in the least, so he didn’t quite know how to approach it. Thaddeus was still a grumpy standoffish grouch first and foremost, of course— regardless of whether he’d prefer more proper wording that wasn’t quite as harsh… although he was also just as human as anyone else, and that humanity still held a bit of human decency that neither the Sivana household nor the Wizard or even the Sins had quite succeeded in snuffing out. 

Perhaps Thaddeus had simply been allowing the boy to get too familiar with him; or, perhaps Thaddeus was  **really** beginning to fully register the fact that this hero was  **just** a boy— a boy that reminded Thaddeus of  **things** he didn’t want to be reminded of, yet didn’t want to ignore more than anything when it came down to it… regardless of whether Thaddeus would admit so. 

Thaddeus was well aware of what happened when those  _ things _ in question were ignored, and Thaddeus could certainly be cruel but even he wasn’t cruel enough to wish such an outcome upon a mere boy— not even the Wizard’s Champion… and that was complicating things quite a bit. 

Ultimately, this sense of familiarity with the Wizard’s Champion was most definitely not something Thaddeus expected he’d ever have to deal with navigating. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *A4- Both chess rank movements are from Billy’s point of view. 
> 
> Shoutout- I would HIGHLY recommend checking out the quality blog of the link below that has some fantastic art of Thaddeus & Billy! His art style is wonderful and there’s a number of interesting characters in his many art pieces. 
> 
> Blog- https://rulerofpurple.tumblr.com/ 
> 
> Thaddeus & Billy art-  
> 1) https://rulerofpurple.tumblr.com/post/611867978823352320/i-was-gonna-color-this-but-it-rlly-didnt-turn-out
> 
> 2) https://rulerofpurple.tumblr.com/post/611343790119239680/ive-been-getting-full-time-hours-at-work-so 
> 
> He’s also writing a fanfic regarding Thaddeus and an OC; I’m interested in seeing how everything plays out! Feel free to give it a look as well in the link below if you’d like! 
> 
> Fanfic- https://archiveofourown.org/works/23041588 
> 
> In any case, this chapter’s pretty lengthy considering there were some significant concepts I wanted to cover... did you guys have a favorite part? I’d love to hear any feedback regarding things I could potentially explore delving into further for future reference!


	12. To Not Dismiss Common Ground

Another day had gone by since Thaddeus had taken refuge at the underpass, and he’d ultimately decided it wasn’t so bad— or at least not utterly dreadful, in any case… After all, things were not at their worst. Essentially, things could be much more unpleasant, although that’s not to say things in their current standing were particularly pleasant; he’d had a number of insects attempt to share his sleeping bag, gotten drenched in rain that had poured long enough to form an expanding puddle which spread its way to the dry spot of his designated area beneath the underpass, and the brisk gusts of wind made Thaddeus uncomfortably chilly during the night while blowing his belongings every which way during the daytime. 

The great outdoors was quite simply not being very kind to Thaddeus, and the Sivana household had never really been all that interested in taking family camping trips, so this was all rather new to him. 

Billy’s attempts to help get Thaddeus accustomed did not exactly bode well with the older man, so there was that, too. 

“Absolutely not.” Thaddeus objected, shooing away the black cowboy without an ounce of hesitation.

“Just try it,” Billy incessantly pestered, attempting to place the hat atop the taller man’s head and causing Thaddeus to annoyedly shrug him off, pushing the boy away more than shoving him. “C’mon it’s not that bad,” Billy huffed, earning a pointed look. “You can take it off if you don’t like it.” 

“No.” Thaddeus firmly reiterated, walking down the thrift shop’s aisle of hats and other accessories. 

Unfortunately, Billy followed, cowboy hat still in hand as he persisted in a mumble, “It’s better than a pom-pom hat…” 

“Isn’t that the brand Fredrick wore?” Thaddeus dryly commented as he scanned his options, ignoring the way a rather persistent Billy experimentally held out the cowboy hat towards him again as though expecting him to have changed his mind for some unfathomable reason. 

“Oh so you can remember what hat  _ Freddy _ wore but you can’t remember his name, huh,  **Fashionista** ?” Billy said with an eye roll. 

“Your attempts at designating nicknames and hats tend to make you less tolerable.” Thaddeus stiffly informed, pausing to pick up a black hat that caught his eye. 

“I mean, I knew you were a bad guy, but I didn’t know you were the type to stoop low enough to wear a fedora.” Billy snickered as Thaddeus examined the hat. 

“Pardon?” Thaddeus questioned, brow raising and eyes narrowing. “This is a  _ trilby _ .” 

Billy shrugged. “Looks like a fedora.” 

Thaddeus wasn’t particularly in the mood to argue, wearily shaking his head with a quiet sigh of exasperation as he examined the price: ten dollars. It wasn’t much to Thaddeus, but it seemed like it could potentially be a lot for a child. Not that he cared, of course… although he could always just pay Billy back whenever he managed to find a way to get a hold of his frozen finances without drawing attention to himself. Billy had already spent a bit of money on him in any case, although Thaddeus wasn’t sure as to how much Billy actually made in comparison; the Sivana family had always been well off, so he’d never had to work at a breakfast diner or do anything of the sort. Would Billy expect interest when he repaid him? It’s not as though Thaddeus even had to actually do that— they were arch enemies, after all, so he reckoned it would be fair enough for him to be a bit greedy considering that particular sin tended to run in the Sivana family. 

Despite all of that, for one reason or another Thaddeus put the hat back. “I don’t need one.” 

Billy raised a brow. “I was just kidding around about the fedora thing.” 

“I don’t typically wear hats.” Thaddeus dismissively assured. Correction— not  _ assured _ .  **Informed** . Thaddeus dismissively  _ informed _ . He had no reason much less desire to be of any reassurance whatsoever to the Wizard’s Champion. 

“But you need it for your disguise.” Billy insisted with a frown, apparently caring about this ordeal more than Thaddeus himself. 

“Some sunglasses and any decent attire that isn’t a prison uniform is disguise enough.” Thaddeus stated with measured nonchalance, setting the hat back on the shelf. 

“That’s literally just what you were wearing when you first catapulted me into the sky,” Billy scoffed while grabbing the discarded hat, earning a look. “Like, even your coat looks similar.” 

“If you want to waste your money on something then at least spend it on something worthwhile,” Thaddeus dryly retorted. “Such as nourishment other than canned food.” 

Billy’s head tilted. “I might have enough left over for something off of a dollar menu if you want a burger or something?” 

Thaddeus had meant for Billy— not himself… although he didn’t dare admit as much given how he was convinced it had been a passing notion that didn’t hold any ounce of meaning in the least. “I wouldn’t call a burger particularly nourishing.” 

“ _ Aw you want the chicken nugget meal instead? _ ” Billy joked with a smirk in a tone that dramatically feigned pity, snickering at the unamused stare that earned. “C’mon,” Billy ushered much too pleased with himself, setting the cowboy hat down before walking off with the trilby. “I wanna’ get everything paid for before their lunch break starts.” 

“You know when their lunch break starts?” Thaddeus inquired, following the boy up to the counter, subtly glancing around for any security cameras and wondering whether or not one thing or another might eventually bring the cops here looking for evidence of his wherabouts, hoping the chances of that happening would be slim to none. 

“Yeah I usually come here for shopping since it’s super cheap and I, uh, make under minimum wage,” Billy explained while setting the hat and a pair of new shoes for himself on the counter. “So I know their basic routine or whatever,” He rang the bell on the counter, Thaddeus eyeing over the old store that clearly hadn’t been renovated in a while, the older man relieved at the lack of a crowd. “I’m pretty sure this hat’s, like, the most expensive thing I’ve seen here, honestly.” 

Thaddeus crossed his arms. “You really don’t have to buy it.” 

“I was kidding,” Billy amusedly shrugged off. “Again.” 

Thaddeus couldn’t help but be skeptical of that allegedly being just a joke, although he didn’t have a chance to voice his skepticism given how an older teenager made his way out of the storage room and acknowledged with a grin, “Morning, Billy.” 

“Hey, Pete,” Billy greeted, pulling out his wallet, Thaddeus noticing its stitched design that resembled a tiger’s face similar to the one on the boy’s backpack. “How’ve you been?” 

The employee named Pete shrugged. “Same as always, I guess,” He began ringing up the items. “You transfer schools or something?” 

Thaddeus also noticed the way Billy self consciously pulled his sleeve lower, not wanting it to ride up and reveal the burn mark Uncle Eb had accidentally caused during their scuffle; it had faded some, but it was still visible. 

“Oh, uh, no,” Billy said with a somewhat forced laugh as his lips tightly tugged upwards, the corners of Thaddeus’s mouth twitching downwards. “I’ve just been taking some time off,” The boy dismissively stated, leaving out the part about not wanting to go back to school since he knew that would result in his teachers notifying Uncle Eb of his reappearance. “Like, ditching and stuff or whatever, ya’ know?” 

Pete raised a brow. “You’ve been ditching pretty often.” The cash register displayed eighteen dollars and seventy-five cents as the total. 

Prices had gotten hiked up, apparently. Billy averted his gaze towards the wallet he began fishing through, not meeting Pete’s questioning stare. “Not as much as I ditched last year.” Billy didn’t address the fact that he’d barely ditched this year until recently thanks to actually looking forward to his journalism class that he was honestly missing. 

Pete glanced at Thaddeus. “My bad— I assumed this dude was your new foster-dad or something.” 

Thaddeus mercifully refrained from retorting with dry sarcasm as Billy said, “What? No way, he’s not- he’s just- he’s like- he’s just my cousin. Cousin, uh- cousin Jon.” Thaddeus glanced at Billy, the boy that was stumbling over his words already behaving much too suspiciously. “Not my biological cousin, obviously,” Billy added, Thaddeus nearly sighing as the younger began to over-explain something that he really should have just left at that. “He’s my foster parents' cousin,” Billy lied, seeming to assume needless elaboration would make this seem more genuine despite it doing quite the opposite. “I mean, he’s the twice removed-” 

“I’m his foster mother’s cousin.” Thaddeus spoke up, Billy clearing his throat and nodding as he held out a twenty-dollar bill. 

Pete’s head tilted as he took the money, looking Thaddeus over. “Are you just visiting?” He questioned, popping open the register. “Or are you from around here?” He began counting out the change. “You look kinda’ familiar,” Billy visibly tensed, Thaddeus’s chin inclining. “Have you ever shopped with us before?” 

“Can’t say that I have.” Thaddeus calmly answered, Pete eyeing him over one more time before turning his attention towards the printing receipt. 

“He kinda’ looks like Lex Luthor,” Billy blurted out in an attempt to be helpful, Thaddeus considering elbowing the chatty boy. “Maybe that’s who you’re-” 

Pete emitted a snort of laughter as he tore off the receipt. “ _ Oof _ did your cousin do something to deserve  **that** ?” 

“Yes, Billy,” Thaddeus sarcastically quipped. “Thank you for that insightful comparison,” He drawled in a dry tone. “I appreciate the notion of being compared to a  **criminal** .” 

Oh— right… Billy probably shouldn’t compare the undercover villain to villains. Oops. 

Thankfully, Pete didn’t seem to make the connection given how he amusedly asked, “Need a bag?”, while holding out the receipt. 

Billy took the slip of paper, head shaking as he stuffed that along with his last dollar and quarter into an otherwise empty wallet. “Have a good one.” He said with a wave before picking up the pair of items. 

“You too, man,” Pete acknowledged as the sophomore and his  _ cousin _ began to walk away. “See ya’ later.” 

Billy gave a nod of acknowledgment as he and Thaddeus walked outside, the older man judgmentally commenting, “Cousins?” 

Billy shrugged, handing Thaddeus his hat. “I mean, I’m pretty sure you’re a little too old to be my brother, so-” 

“ _ Pretty sure _ ?” Thaddeus scoffed. 

Billy’s eyes rolled. “Would you have preferred me calling you my grandpa,  _ gramps _ ?” 

“No.” Thaddeus immediately replied as unamused as ever, putting on his hat. 

Billy smirked. “The fedora actually looks kinda’ cool to be hones-” 

“It’s not a fedora,” Thaddeus annoyedly corrected, earning a snicker. “And I don’t look like Lex Luthor.” 

The corners of Billy’s lips twitched upwards into an even more chummy grin that had already been much too chummy to start with. “I mean, to be fair you actually kinda’ do look like-” 

“Do you behave stubbornly in attempts to pester me to no ends on purpose?” Thaddeus interjected in exasperation. “Or is your tendency to repetitively badger me an unfortunate natural instinct?” 

“I mean, this is pretty much routine now,” Billy mused, Thaddeus quizzically glancing at him with narrowed eyes. “I banter about something that makes you wanna’ get defensive and bicker… and then I joke around some more and you act all huffy and annoyed, and then I try to get you to loosen up some and you tell me off for acting like a cheeky brat before interrupting me to snappily talk about how I’m being-” 

“Your tone suggests you feel as though this is somehow endearing,” Thaddeus interjected right on cue. “When it’s really not.” 

Billy looked rather pleased with himself. “It is a little amusing, though.” 

_ Find us. _ Thaddeus heard it— again… He heard that familiar whisper. Heard the disdain in their tones. Heard the way the Sins didn’t like Billy getting a bit too friendly with their Champion any more than Thaddeus did. 

“I wasn’t aware I should be amused by having to listen to a brat run his mouth like some child that doesn’t know when to hold his tongue,” Thaddeus dryly retorted as he remembered the rather similar words that had been spoken to him back when he was around Billy’s age, or perhaps a bit younger than the boy was now, offhandedly adding, “You’ll have to excuse me for not being thrilled that you evidently assume I want to engage in any manner of discussion whatsoever with the likes of you merely because I’m not currently equipped to show my disdain for these unwarranted talks,” An aching jolt throbbed throughout Thaddeus’s eye, the pulsing of his scar spreading down to his jawline, a dull thrumming becoming present. “You were at least somewhat more tolerable when you weren’t overly talkative with your enemies, Champion.” 

Thaddeus gave Billy a look, not quite expecting the way the boy’s expression fell at that, noting how the younger averted his sights forward, Billy rubbing his upper arm with a downcast gaze and mumbling, “Fair enough,” He swallowed thickly, chewing on the inside of his cheek. “I guess I can talk a little too much now sometimes,” He relented, obviously self-conscious. “I mean, I know Freddy rubbed off on me some or whatever, so yeah— I probably do seem kinda’ talkative compared to before when it comes to, like, what you remember me being like and stuff,” Billy didn’t meet Thaddeus’s stare. “So sorry, I guess,” He began playing with a string on his sleeve, seeming antsy. “I wasn’t trying to sound like a jerk; I can just joke around a little too much sometimes without, uh, realizing I’m drawing out the joke. If that makes sense? You can just tell me if I’m doing that and I’ll stop. I’ll try to be more, ya’ know… aware, though,” Billy cleared his throat. “I just- yeah. Sorry.” He should probably just shut up now. 

Thaddeus frowned, certainly not expecting…  **that** — he’d assumed Billy would just counter him with more cheekiness, frankly not expecting an apology in the least. 

Much less an apology with an explanation that the boy apparently felt was necessary. 

Thaddeus had been familiar with anxious apologies like that when he was younger; he was aware of what circumstances they tended to stem from. Thaddeus was supposed to be bitter and quick to become irked— he was supposed to be dismissive of conversation that he lacked an interest in… supposed to be resentful to those who inconvenienced him. 

Thaddeus was supposed to be cold, but not quite cruel. 

That had been cruel. 

“An apology isn’t necessary,” Thaddeus acknowledged after a brief moment that likely felt like lengthy minutes to the younger, a measured calmness in his tone, Billy still visibly tensing nonetheless as though expecting there to be some kind of catch. “All right?” Billy inwardly flinched at the pointedly firm tone that raised to ensure it was heard, Thaddeus only asking as much to make sure that that was understood, not quite meaning to sound so harsh in doing so, taking on a less sharp tone with more measured calmness as he repeated, “All right?” 

Billy glanced at Thaddeus, obviously not expecting the more patient tone, the boy hesitantly giving a nod and uncomfortably rubbing his upper arm. “Okay…” 

Thaddeus could tell Billy was still on edge given how stiffly the rigid boy was walking. “I appreciate the gesture of being bought a hat.” He further acknowledged, wondering if changing the subject might put things at ease some. 

Billy blinked, arching a brow at Thaddeus with a taken aback stare. “Uh- yeah… no problem?” Had Thaddeus just thanked him? “Glad you like it,” Billy cleared his throat, awkwardly rubbing the side of his neck. “Or whatever.” 

Things were still uncomfortable, to say the least, as the consequences of Thaddeus’s words lingered. He’d said an apology wasn’t necessary. That wasn’t quite truthful, though. An apology from Billy was what wasn’t necessary. Perhaps an apology from Thaddeus could be warranted. It’s not as though swallowing his pride and outright saying as much would even be all that- 

A sharp sting bloomed throughout Thaddeus’s scarred eye, the older man having to come to a halt as the burning ache became overwhelming more than just a little quickly, resting a palm against a store building’s wall for balance. His fingertips pressed against the mended flesh as his jaw clenched, teeth gritting with a sharp exhale of annoyance. Urgent whispers arose consisting of two familiar words being accompanied by other less familiar phrases that he didn’t quite catch, hand flexing against the wall as he tried to steady himself. He reckoned he really ought to be used to this by now. 

“Are you okay?” Billy asked, concerned. Much too concerned. Too concerned about someone that had lacked in concern towards him. Concerned for an enemy. Maybe that was part of why the Wizard had chosen him. It had to be, really. The concern that somehow seemed to come to the boy with ease was almost annoying given how it showed a mere child was capable of something Thaddeus wasn’t— or at least of something he reckoned he wasn’t capable of practicing… not anymore, in any case. 

Yet at the same time Thaddeus was aware there was a potential contradiction to what he’d convinced himself of; he’d apparently been concerned enough to ease up on the boy to an extent. Possibly. 

He dismissed it as just not wanting to quite be cruel. 

“Yes,” Thaddeus lied, not quite sure as to why he did as much when he had no obligation to be reassuring towards a brat that wasn’t his responsibility. “I’m fine.” Maybe it was his way of returning the gesture, so to say. Thaddeus knew it paled in comparison, though. He was aware it was the bare minimum. He shouldn’t care.  **Doesn’t** . He  _ doesn’t _ care. 

He apparently cares enough to lie, though— or to at least not be entirely cruel in any case. 

“Do you want an ice pack?” Billy offered, gesturing towards the store Thaddeus was leaning against. “I’m pretty sure I have enough left over to buy one.” 

“What?” Thaddeus questioned, exasperation rising in his voice. “How much money do you have left?” 

The annoyance in Thaddeus’s tone didn’t exactly put the antsy Billy at ease. “It wouldn’t be more than a dollar, right?” 

Thaddeus released a sharp exhale, irked by how Billy apparently couldn’t answer a mere question. “Do you have more than a dollar?” 

A beat. “Yes.” Billy answered, earning a skeptical look from Thaddeus and hesitantly elaborating in reluctance, “I have thirty-four cents, too, so-” 

“I told you to not buy this hat.” Thaddeus snapped, not seeing why the boy gladly spent all his money on a pointless whim when it could be spent on much more valuable things. 

Billy fidgeted, gaze casting downwards as he swallowed thickly and defensively reiterated with a frown, “It probably wouldn’t be more than a dollar anyways, so-” 

“I heard that part,” Thaddeus interjected, Billy’s jaw clenching. “And it’s not-” 

“Even if I don’t have enough money I can just snag one or whatever, all right?” Billy interrupted right back, not meeting Thaddeus’s stare as he glared at the ground. 

“I wasn’t aware chosen heroes had a tendency to shoplift.” Thaddeus scoffed. 

“It’s not a tendency,” Billy retorted, somehow timid yet also angry, not quite as cheeky as he typically was even when annoyed. “I wouldn’t expect some complete douchebag who’s always had everything handed to him on a silver platter to understand that sometimes getting hold of crap like necessities or whatever can be a little dodgy.” 

Thaddeus’s hand against the wall curled into a fist, the dull ache prominent. “I’d hardly call an ice pack a necessity in this case,” He countered, giving Billy a look and earning a begrudging glance. “And it’s hardly worth getting arrested for.” 

Billy crossed his arms. “You wouldn’t be the one getting arrested since I’d be the one-” 

“I wasn’t referring to myself,” Thaddeus stated, Billy falling quiet. “Do you need me to spell it out more clearly?” Thaddeus mocked upon earning a taken aback stare, not wanting Billy to take his reply as an invitation to get too chummy. 

“You don’t want  **me** to risk getting caught?” Billy asked just to make sure he understood that correctly, frankly not expecting as much considering he’d assumed Thaddeus would be rather pleased by an outcome that would result in him finally getting a taste of his own medicine in experiencing what prison had been like. 

“That’s not what I said.” Thaddeus denied, the sting subsiding some. 

“I mean, it kinda’ is.” Billy rebutted without missing a beat. 

“Fine,” Thaddeus gritted through his teeth in annoyance. “Go to prison, then.” 

Billy snickered, apparently finding that amusing for some reason. “I mean, I’ve already been to juvie, so-” 

“You’ve what?” Thaddeus scoffed, wearily lowering his hand from the wall. “Can’t say I’m particularly surprised.” He dryly commented while straightening up. “For shoplifting, I presume?” 

“No,” Billy mumbled, looking off to the side and rubbing his upper neck. “It was for running away,” Thaddeus didn’t offer a reply at that, Billy swallowing thickly. “After so many times they stop warning you to stay put and send you there to try and straighten you out or whatever,” Billy added, discomforted by the silence. “And the guy I’d been staying with was a complete prick that probably encouraged sending me there even though I’m pretty sure I didn’t really inconvenience him by leaving since-” Billy cleared his throat, seeming to decide he’d said enough on the matter, finally meeting Thaddeus’s stare. “Are you good enough to walk now or should we wait a little longer?” 

Thaddeus noticed how Billy looked away right after meeting his gaze, becoming more aware of things like that lately. “Yes,” He spoke up, Billy glancing at him before looking downwards. “I can walk.” 

“Are you sure you don’t need an ice pack?” Billy asked as they began making their way back down the sidewalk. “I don’t mind getting one.” 

“I’m fine,” Thaddeus answered, less harshly this time even though his tone wasn’t quite entirely warm either. “Save your money for a new phone.” That earned an arched brow, Thaddeus glancing at Billy before looking forward with a short sigh and dismissively adding, “A phone has a variety of uses that could be of some convenience,” A pause. “And it would give you something to do other than-” 

“Bother you?” Billy offered, Thaddeus about to confirm as much and- “It’s fine,” Billy said with a shrug. “I’m used to people not really liking it when I talk,” He confessed, sounding a bit more nonchalant than Thaddeus reckoned he actually was. “Other than the Vasquez’s and stuff,” He clarified, apparently assuming as much was necessary. “I mean, I’ve gotten better, but most people I stayed with when I was younger could get a little burnt out— like that one guy I was talking about that-” Billy paused. “Sorry, I probably don’t really need to, like, keep rambling, huh? My bad. I just- yeah. Sorry. I’ll shut up now.” 

Thaddeus reckoned it would be best to just leave it at that since the boy had finally allowed him some peace and quiet. Despite that, for whatever reason, he went against his better judgment to say with some manner of hesitance, “The  _ guy _ that got you sent to juvie, I presume?” 

Billy visibly tensed, evidently not expecting Thaddeus to follow up on that little comment that apparently stuck out to the older man. “No. I mean, okay— yeah… technically that is who I was talking about, but I don’t know why I brought him up. It’s not, like, something I needed to start rambling about and stuff or whatever.” 

Thaddeus observed the way Billy’s arms stiffly crossed. “What exactly did you mean by  _ burnt out _ ?” 

Billy’s grasp on the pair of new shoes tightened. “Just- you know… like how you obviously get kinda’ tired of me talking a lot, I guess? I mean, you’re a little nicer about it or whatever since you don’t- since you’re not as strict. He was just really strict and didn’t really like it when someone made some noise at his place since he was always working so it was easy to get in a lot of trouble and stuff. You’re just kinda’ standoffish since you don’t- like…” Billy released a frustrated sigh. “Look, I know I can probably talk a little too much now compared to before, so-” 

“You certainly do have a tendency to talk a bit more than I remember you doing,” Thaddeus acknowledged, Billy’s mouth falling shut as the corners of his lips tugged downwards. “Although you weren’t exactly the silent type when we initially met.” 

Billy frowned. “Yeah, I know,” He acknowledged, staring down at the sidewalk. “Like, sure— I guess I kinda’ made some jabs at you when we were fighting, but it’s not like I was trying to- I dunno’... have a conversation, I guess? I mean, I used to ramble a lot when I was younger, and then-” Billy swallowed thickly, giving a shrug. “Then some stuff happened and I became more of the quiet type or whatever, but I started talking a lot again after a while when I got homed with the Vasquez’s since Freddy and Darla rubbed off on me some,” Billy knew Thaddeus was looking at him and that made him even more self-conscious and aware that he was babbling again, the boy not meeting his stare. “And none of them really minded that, but you obviously find it annoying, so like I said— you can tell me if I’m talking too much and I’ll stop.” 

Meeting consequences for disturbing the work of one’s guardian by being a bit too loud and being chastised for talking too much was not an experience only Billy was familiar with. 

“I reckon occasionally rambling is better than not speaking at all.” Thaddeus said after a moment of consideration, not wanting to give Billy the idea that he was welcoming any manner of pestering from the boy, yet also not quite wanting to practice what his father had taught; Thaddeus dismissed his statement as being no more than a defiant way of discarding his father‘s tendencies that he had no desire to practice— it’s not as though he actually cared about the way the brat acting less bratty than usual was disconcerting. 

Despite telling himself as much, Thaddeus glanced at Billy, subtly checking the antsy boy over to see whether he’d relaxed any, earning a raised brow from the younger that said, “I kinda’ assumed you’d want me to, uh, just  _ not speak at all _ , honestly.” 

“I never said that.” Thaddeus carefully replied, not wanting to outright deny as much and risk the hero feeling a bit too welcomed. 

“Well it’s pretty obvious,” Billy scoffed, defensiveness seeping through his tone, not sure as to what Thaddeus was playing at with the shift in behavior. “You hate it when I interrupt the peace or whatever.” Billy felt a little vulnerable here, to say the least, so he personally felt like that warranted remaining on guard just in case. 

Thaddeus was aware he could bring attention to how Billy was being rather difficult and use it as an excuse as to why he treated the boy like he was a pest. “I don’t particularly mind this conversation.” He said instead even though it would be much easier to add fuel to the fire and make Billy feel even more self-conscious about rambling to ensure the hero bothered him less. 

Thaddeus should want Billy to bother him less. He  _ did _ want Billy to bother him less. He had no qualms with making that known by being blunt about as much. 

Although that didn’t mean he particularly wanted to act like his father by doing so when he was well aware of the influences his words could have that were a bit too cruel even for his own liking. 

Billy eyed Thaddeus over skeptically. “Because you find this amusing?” 

“No.” Thaddeus answered, simply and honestly. 

Billy studied Thaddeus’s expression, wondering if he just wasn’t catching the older man’s typical dry sarcasm. “Because I’m probably telling you more than I should and you’re gonna’ end up using this to your advantage somehow like a total villain?” 

Thaddeus quirked a brow at Billy. “No,” He said again. “If I wanted to manipulate you then I’d feed into what you’ve said, not-” He paused, searching for the right word. 

Billy’s head tilted as he offered, “Try to be reassuring?” 

“I would hardly call my statements  _ reassuring _ .” Thaddeus stiffly denied, not about to coddle the brat. 

Billy released a huffy sigh, not seeing why Thaddeus had to backtrack every time it finally seemed like they were actually getting somewhere with each other. “See? Now you’re getting annoyed with this and wanting us to just leave it at that,” Billy pointedly brought up. “Which is fine or whatever,” He added with a shrug in a mumble. “I just wanted to say thanks for trying to be nice and stuff because what you said seemed nice, but if that wasn’t… ya’ know… your intention then fine— my bad.” 

“I wasn’t trying to be  _ nice- _ ” 

“Okay,” Billy snapped. “I said that’s fine, all right?” He stuffed his hands into his pockets while grumbling, “I didn’t really expect you to be anyways,” Touché— Thaddeus didn’t precisely know how to best respond to that. “I guess I just meant that you seemed less bad than-” Billy swallowed dryly, seemingly reconsidering what he was about to say. “Than the guy I was talking about since you’re just standoffish and not…” Billy trailed off. 

“Not?” Thaddeus quizzically prompted. 

“Intimidating.” Billy chewed on the inside of his cheek. “I mean, you’re definitely intimidating since you’re my arch-nemesis and all, but not in the way he was.” 

Thaddeus frowned. “And what way would that be?” 

“No offense, but I doubt you’d care— and that’s fine; I really wouldn’t expect you to, and I honestly don’t exactly feel like talking about stuff that I haven’t even talked about with Victor and Rosa or even Freddy yet… it’s not like it’s your problem anyway and I can’t exactly see you actually wanting to listen to me complain.” Billy defensively answered. “I kinda’ feel like I’ve already said too much by now in any case and I don’t know why since I seriously don’t like talking about this stuff— at all… with anyone. But that hasn’t really kept me from rambling on about it and I’d prefer dropping it before I say more crap that I’ll probably regret saying.” 

“All right,” Thaddeus acknowledged, Billy figuring the older man was just relieved to be offered a bit of peace and quiet. “It’s not as though you’re obligated to converse about as much,” He agreed, the boy assuming Thaddeus didn’t care much for hearing him ramble on. “Although if you decide you’d like to discuss it further then I suppose I wouldn’t be particularly opposed to listening.” 

“Yeah right.” Billy said under his breath, eyes rolling. 

Thaddeus narrowed his eyes, nonetheless quietly releasing a sharp exhale before calmly retorting, “I would not offer to listen if that offer wasn’t sincere,” He had practiced patience for decades throughout his search for the Wizard’s lair and he reckoned it wouldn’t be of any harm to practice some of that patience around Billy every once and awhile. “I assumed that would be obvious considering I make it known when I am not interested in bantering,” He added, making a minuscule effort to not sound demeaning in his tone— it wasn’t much, but it was an effort at the very least. “I would not invite you to do something I’d be opposed to.” 

The corners of Billy’s lips tugged downwards. “Well you can’t really blame me for being a little skeptical since I can’t help but kinda’ doubt you’d actually care enough to listen when you’ve made it pretty obvious that you’re, ya’ know, basically always indifferent and all that.” 

“If I’m willing to listen then that in itself should suggest I’m not entirely indifferent.” Thaddeus finally sighed, not fond of the way Billy had made him spell that out for the boy given how he didn’t particularly want the younger to feel as though his willingness to do so was a sign of them being on better terms than they were. 

For one reason or another, Billy couldn’t leave well enough alone. “So what? You do kinda’ care to an extent or whatever, then? About what I was talking about and stuff?” Thaddeus gave the boy a look, considering replying with a less patient retort, yet hesitating upon realizing Billy sounded more uncertain than amused, the boy’s expression visibly timid compared to his usual cheekiness. “Sorry,” Billy blurted out before Thaddeus could answer, gaze casting downwards yet again. “That was, like, a super silly question, huh?” He didn’t really know why he asked it when he was aware of what the answer was. 

Thaddeus’s hardened expression eased up some, not quite softening but certainly not sharpening in the least. “If there is something you feel the need to discuss in regard to what we were conversing about then I would be interested in listening and I would not listen indifferently.” 

“Oh,” Billy said, sounding hesitant and a little taken aback. “Okay,” He mumbled, considering the statement for a moment. “Thanks.” He finally added, that seeming to be enough for the boy. 

Thaddeus gave a nod of acknowledgment, looking the boy over from the corner of his eye. “Is there anything else you want to discuss?” 

Billy shrugged. “Not really, I guess? I mean, I feel like what I said pretty much summed it up since there’s not much else to say about him other than he was super strict.” 

“Your previous foster father?” 

“Yeah. I mean, not Victor, obviously— Victor’s awesome. This dude was, like, my seventh foster parent or something like that.” 

Thaddeus arched a brow. “ _ Seventh _ ?” 

“Yeah,” Billy confirmed. “I got rehomed a lot; I actually kinda’ lost count after family eleven, but I’m pretty sure I haven’t had more than, like, twenty-five or something at most— probably…” Billy wearily forced a smile. “You’ve actually put up with me better than they did,” He said with an antsy laugh, throat clearing. “Other than the Vasquez’s, of course.” 

Thaddeus frowned at the self-deprecating joke. “I see.” Billy’s smile fell upon realizing Thaddeus didn’t seem to find that particularly funny. “How exactly was he strict?” 

For a moment, Billy didn’t say anything. “I don’t really like talking about that.” 

“All right.” Thaddeus acknowledged, tone lacking in its usual sharpness and even sounding patient. 

Billy’s brow furrowed. “Sorry, I just-” 

“An apology isn’t necessary.” Thaddeus spoke up, earning a grateful nod of relief. 

“Uncle Eb actually pales in comparison, honestly,” Billy chuckled in an attempt to be dismissive, trying to keep a steady voice. “Every time I start to feel like he’s a jerk I remember that it could be, uh, worse.” 

“That doesn’t make your uncle’s actions excusable,” Thaddeus finally outright stated, earning a taken aback look from the boy who frankly hadn’t expected that. “That burn on your arm was unwarranted.” 

Billy shrugged, rubbing the side of his neck. “I mean, it  **was** an accident.” 

“An accident that wouldn’t have occurred if he hadn’t engaged by scuffling with you in the first place.” Thaddeus immediately reminded in a surprisingly calm tone. 

“He was just trying to get my phone that I wasn’t supposed to be on anyways.” Billy defensively mumbled. 

“A phone that you pay for and couldn’t use due to being grounded for months on end, correct?” Thaddeus knowingly replied, Billy falling quiet. “It’s not normal to be isolated from others that long— particularly when your groundings also included being withheld from school without the administration being aware of as much.” 

“I wasn’t aware you were so concerned about my well-being.” Billy grumbled, arms crossing. 

“You are a child-” 

“I’m fifteen.” Billy interjected with a huff. 

“-and for one reason or another, you seem to be ignoring red flags that I frankly can’t help but notice,” Thaddeus continued, Billy’s lips pursing. “So yes— you will have to excuse me for finding that somewhat disconcerting,” A pause. “I may view your stubbornness as irksome as a foe, but that does not particularly mean that I want you to meet harm-” 

“Says the guy that fought the everloving daylights out of me.” Billy scoffed. 

“When you were equipped to defend yourself as an equal Champion rather than a mere defenseless child.” Thaddeus retorted, because that had been different and- 

“I wasn’t your equal when you dunked me underwater.” Billy snappily countered, Thaddeus falling silent at that, Billy’s haughty glare shifting into an uncertain frown as he immediately regretted what he’d just said. “Sorry, I wasn’t trying to-” 

“It was a fair enough argument.” Thaddeus acknowledged, Billy’s brow furrowing at the tone that wasn’t calm or angry, or patient or impatient, or any emotion really given how it was just even and empty and somehow worse than being angry. 

“Still— sorry…” The boy mumbled, the corners of his lips tugging downwards. 

“An apology isn’t necessary.” Thaddeus dismissed, a bit of exasperation slipping through that time, although he mostly sounded calm. 

Billy swallowed thickly. “You’re a lot different from my uncle more than anything, though,” He blurted out. “Considering you don’t actually expect apologies all the time,” Billy elaborated in an attempt to backtrack. “Plus you haven’t pushed me around any when we’re both normal and stuff like this and not, uh, brawling.” 

Thaddeus looked Billy over. “ _ Pushed around _ ?” 

“I didn’t mean it like that,” Billy quickly assured in a way that wasn’t very reassuring. “I just meant that Uncle Eb can get a little impatient sometimes and kinda’ bump me out of his way, but it’s not like he ever punches or anything like that— it’s just shoving at worst and I usually don’t get hurt from any-” 

“ _ Usually _ ?” Thaddeus inquired further. 

“Well yeah, I mean accidents obviously happen sometimes, all right?” Billy exhaled somewhat frustratedly. “Like, it wasn’t like he actually meant to for me to burn my arm when he-” 

“There’s been other accidents, then?” Thaddeus asked. 

“Little ones, yeah,” Billy confirmed. “Nothing major.” 

“Burning your arm seems rather significant.” Thaddeus said unconvinced. 

“Well it’s not like he meant to,” Billy argued. “And he wasn’t smug about it or anything like that. He’s even apologized a few times for some other stuff. Like, when he accidentally bruised my ribs awhile back-” 

“He  **what** ?” Thaddeus questioned, eyes narrowing as he looked at Billy with a frown, the boy’s eyes widening and his lips parting in what was going to be an obvious attempt to backtrack, causing Thaddeus to sharply exhale, “Don’t.” Billy’s expression fell at that, his mouth hesitantly falling shut in uncertainty, not wanting to test the sudden anger that had risen in Thaddeus given how he didn’t exactly know what to make of it. “I have no interest whatsoever in hearing you recklessly defend your uncle further like an absurd-” Billy self consciously crossed his arms and visibly sunk into himself, Thaddeus thinning his lips and releasing a quiet sigh, taking a brief moment to compose himself. “May I offer a word of advice?” He requested with measured calmness. 

Billy glanced at Thaddeus, not expecting the older man to actually request permission to say something rather than just outright saying it. “Sure..?” Billy mumbled, hoping he sounded less timid than he felt, because Billy didn’t like this— he didn’t like feeling anxious when he was supposed to be laid back. 

He didn’t like feeling how he’d felt before he found the Vasquez’s. 

“If you would not excuse your foster siblings being treated similarly then do not excuse your own mistreatment.” Thaddeus warned, and he didn’t care about the brat that he absolutely loathed, although he didn’t particularly want him to get caught up in something that even the Champion of Sins wouldn’t wish on his foe. 

Thaddeus was aware of where this could go— he was familiar with it… and he was cold but he was not entirely cruel; he did not want a mere boy to experience a childhood that could very well be much too similar to his own in all the ways that counted. 

“Okay,” Billy softly spoke up, Thaddeus blinking and looking down at the boy. “Okay— yeah… that’s, uh- I guess that’s fair,” Billy swallowed thickly. “Sorry.” 

“An apology isn’t-” Thaddeus dismissively started before noticing how Billy averted his gaze back towards the ground, the older man pausing and releasing a weary exhale. “You do not… need to apologize for that,” He instead offered after a moment of consideration. “It’s all right. Is that understood?” Billy gave a small nod of confirmation, Thaddeus’s tone exceedingly patient. “Do you want to discuss this further or leave this conversation as is for the time being?” Billy silently shrugged, not offering a reply, Thaddeus not knowing how to deal with this and frankly not needing to since it wasn’t as though he was responsible for his enemy’s problems. “You may talk about it more if you’d like,” Thaddeus found himself offering nonetheless, admittedly lending an ear more willingly than he’d generally be ready to do. “Although it’s really not as though there’s any need to if you’d rather not.” He dismissively added, not wanting to come across as being welcoming when he preferred being perceived as no more than indifferent— and perhaps not wanting to make Billy feel pressured to speak more than he already had. Not that Thaddeus actually cared, of course; he was just practicing a bit of human decency as far as he was concerned. 

“I’m good for now,” Billy quietly spoke up. “But thanks.” 

Thaddeus knew he should be relieved that Billy was refraining from bothering him and being noticeably less chatty than usual. For one reason or another, however, he simply wasn’t. 

This time, it was Thaddeus who apparently couldn’t just leave well enough alone. “If my comments came across as harsh then that wasn’t my intention.” 

Billy took a moment to let those words soak in. “Are you-” A smirk tugged at his lips. “Are you trying to apologize?” He asked, finally meeting Thaddeus’s stare with an arched brow. 

“No,” Thaddeus stiffly answered, not wanting Billy to get too cheeky with him. “I’m absolutely not. I’m merely clarifying what I meant in order to-” 

“Because you feel bad for being a little harsh?” Billy amusedly offered. 

Thaddeus gave Billy a look. “Do not make me regret attempting to reach out-” 

“Wow, you really cared enough to  _ reach out _ , huh?” Billy snickered, Thaddeus’s jaw visibly flexing. “Technically your words, not mine. Mostly.” 

“You have a tendency to mistake my sentiments toward you as being much more considerate than they actually are.” Thaddeus coldly informed. 

“You admit you are kinda’ considerate, then?” Billy mused. “Like, in a grumpy kind of way, I mean.” Thaddeus’s lips parted to make a retort, although Billy spoke up first to say with a laugh that shifted into a cleared throat, “Seriously, though, thanks,” He averted his gaze again, although this time he looked forward rather than downwards, a slight smile still tugging at his mouth. “I appreciate you, uh, trying to look out for me a little bit regardless of why you decided to— even if you weren’t, you know, trying to be nice since you at least weren’t trying to be mean or whatever, either.” 

Thaddeus’s hardened expression eased up some, eyeing the boy over before acknowledging with some manner of hesitance, “You’re welcome.” 

“I’m honestly surprised you haven’t told me to shut up yet,” Billy admitted, Thaddeus raising a questioning brow at him. “Since I’ve, like, given you permission to tell me when I’m rambling and all,” Thaddeus’s brow raised higher. “Oh— right… I’m probably talking a little too much now, huh? My bad.” 

Thaddeus seemed to consider that— briefly. “No.” 

It was Billy’s turn to raise his eyebrows. “No?” 

“No,” Thaddeus confirmed against his better judgment. “You’re fine.” Billy was being tolerable enough and Thaddeus didn’t exactly want to make the boy as self-conscious as he’d evidently been just moments ago given how that had been a rather uncomfortable situation to have to deal with. 

Billy felt a smirk twitch at his lips. “In that case, I could move onto info-dumping a bunch of pointless facts about tigers to you and-” 

“I’d really rather you not.” Thaddeus wearily objected, earning a laugh from the boy that was being a bit of a handful, but not quite insufferable, Thaddeus looking the younger over for a moment and pausing to consider something before adding, “I reckon, however, that if I’m permitted to tell you when I prefer a bit of peace and quiet, then it would only be fair if it was acceptable for you to tell me if I am ever being harsher than warranted.” 

Billy’s smile fell as a taken aback expression settled on his face. “Seriously?” 

Thaddeus considered saying no as potential regret already began to rise at how Billy could easily take advantage of this. “Yes.” 

Billy’s head tilted. “So if I tell you to stop being mean to me then you have to listen, basically.” 

“I do not  _ have _ to do anything,” Thaddeus firmly corrected. “Although I have become aware that there are certain topics that have been brought up which have caused you some manner of discomfort, so if you feel the need to voice as much in the case that I do overstep any boundaries that bother you then I would not mind you letting me know as much given how me crossing the line could put both of us at an unsavory standstill.” 

“Aren’t you supposed to wanna’ cause your enemy  _ discomfort _ or whatever since you’re literally a bad guy and all that?” Billy quizzically pointed out. “Like, no offense but I kinda’ assumed you’d be smug about realizing I didn’t exactly have a good childhood, either.” 

“No,” Thaddeus answered. “I do not find that fact particularly pleasing if that’s what you’re asking.” 

“Oh,” Billy mumbled a bit more quietly. “Okay,” He chewed on his lower lip. “I guess I just expected you to hold that above me or something to try and, uh- ya’ know… like, I dunno’— uplift yourself or whatever.” 

“I want the power I’m owed that you stole from me,” Thaddeus stated more evenly than angrily. “And I am willing to battle you for it as equal champions,” He further explained, glancing down at the boy looking up at him. “But that does not mean that I find any joy in the notion of you facing things you frankly shouldn’t have to face.” 

Billy’s brow furrowed, staring up at Thaddeus for a moment before looking forward while mumbling, “Thanks, but I don’t really feel like I should have had to face being hunted by a dude who hosted the sins of mankind or whatever when I was fourteen just because some wizard decided to thrust a bunch of overwhelming magical powers onto me when I didn’t exactly get much of a say in the matter.” 

Now  **that** certainly stood out to Thaddeus. “What do you mean you didn’t get a say?” 

Billy shrugged. “I don’t really like talking about it.” 

Thaddeus released a quiet exhale of annoyance at how Billy seemed to want to talk about anything and everything other than the things he asked the boy about, nonetheless patiently acknowledging, “All right.” 

For a while, following silence hung between them, neither saying anything to one another for at least a block or so. 

Then, Thaddeus noticed Billy was walking funny. 

“You’re limping.” He observed aloud. 

“The sole of my shoes are falling apart,” Billy informed, managing to walk normally for the most part but still having an occasional misstep. “But I’m fine.” 

Thaddeus quirked a brow. “Is that why you bought a new pair of shoes?” Billy nodded as he tried to ignore how hot the pavement was through the thin sole of the shoe that had gotten worn down. “Why not just put those on?” Billy shrugged, not giving an answer. “What-” 

“Because I know you don’t like wasting time and having to wait for me, all right?” Billy defensively interjected. “And I really don’t mind since I can just wait until we get back to the underpass to-” 

Thaddeus halted, Billy wincing as he came to a stop as well, the boy having to keep the back of his aching foot lifted off the ground. “Go on.” Thaddeus permitted. 

Billy frowned. “Are you sure you’re okay with-” 

“Yes.” Thaddeus answered, Billy swallowing thickly and giving a nod of thanks while making his way over towards the curb and- “It’s dangerous to sit there with traffic speeding by.” 

Billy’s eyes rolled, giving Thaddeus a look before letting out a sigh and limping over to the other side of the sidewalk, leaning back against a gate as he sat down and cheekily mumbled, “Nice of you to care.” 

“I don’t.” Thaddeus immediately informed, earning a smirk from the boy, the corners of Thaddeus’s mouth tugging downwards at the sight that came into view. “You’re bleeding.” 

“Yeah,” Billy scoffed, grimacing at the open blister on his ankle that had been rubbing up against a torn part of the shoe. “I can see that.” 

Thaddeus frowned. “You need an antibiotic— it could get infected.” 

“I don’t have enough money for Neosporin.” Billy reminded with a shrug, reluctantly pulling on his new shoe despite not wanting to get blood on it, wincing as he tightened the laces. 

“Then you can return my hat for a refund,” Thaddeus offered. “It’s not as necessary.” 

“There aren’t refunds at the thrift shop, Thad.” Billy scoffed, flinching while easing on the other shoe. 

Thaddeus released a short and sharp exhale. “I told you that you should have saved your money and not bought-” 

“Well I’m sorry for wanting to help you out some.” Billy haughtily huffed while carefully standing up. “But what’s done is done now anyway, all right?” He said while timidly trying out his new shoes with a few steps forward, visibly tensing as his brow furrowed in frustration. “You know what?” Billy sighed. “You should just go ahead; I’m probably going to have to take my time with this to make sure it doesn’t get any worse than it already-” 

“That’s fine,” Thaddeus interjected, arms crossing. “It’s not as though either of us is any particular rush.” 

Billy gave Thaddeus a skeptical look. “You don’t mind it taking a little longer than usual?” 

“Well I’m not very well going to leave you on your own like this, now am I?” Thaddeus haughtily retorted, not seeing why the boy couldn’t just accept his offer to stay along. 

Billy smirked. “Why? Because you ca-” 

“I could redact my previous statement.” Thaddeus threatened before Billy could finish saying the dreaded word  _ care _ , nonetheless walking beside the boy that began making his way down the sidewalk with a more visible limp. 

“You could always just piggyback me there.” Billy cheekily joked. 

“Absolutely not.” Thaddeus scoffed, earning a snicker. 

Thankfully, there wasn’t much of a distance for them to close, the underpass being relatively close by. Throughout their walk, they remained silent for the most part, Billy not being keen on talking due to being too preoccupied with the pain throbbing throughout his ankle to focus on conversation. Every once in a while, however, Billy would cuss under his breath and ball his hands up into fists, flinching as his body stiffened whenever the sore area rubbed up against his shoe in a particularly uncomfortable way. In those cases, Thaddeus would come to a stop and advise Billy to take a break. Typically, Billy would try to stubbornly continue forward while assuring Thaddeus that he was fine, resulting in the older man being a bit more firm in telling Billy to take a break, the boy begrudgingly doing as told and mumbling an admittedly relieved word of thanks, sometimes earning a nod of acknowledgment from Thaddeus. A few rare times, Thaddeus even bothered checking up on Billy while they were walking and asked if he needed to take a break. Billy generally lied and said no, although he appreciated the sentiment regardless. 

When they finally got to the shaded part of the underpass, Billy threw his old shoes into a nearby trash can and kicked off his new shoes, earning a judgemental look from Thaddeus as he picked them up. 

“What?” Billy defensively huffed. 

“Don’t step on any glass.” Thaddeus dryly advised, earning an eye roll. “That was genuine advice.” 

“I’m careful.” Billy confidently stated in a matter of factly tone, earning a scoff from Thaddeus. “I am!” Billy insisted ever so stubbornly, nonetheless cracking a grin at the skeptical look that earned, Thaddeus clearly unconvinced. “Don’t be a jerk,” He snickered, Thaddeus arching a brow and not quite joking back with the boy, but certainly not giving him a frown of disapproval either, the older man not seeming to actually mind his jesting. “I’m not as reckless as you’re convinced I-” 

“I didn’t say you were.” Thaddeus spoke up, not exactly sharply or anything of the sort, just making a comment more than anything. 

“Yeah, well you didn’t have to say it,” Billy turned his sights forward. “With a look like-” Billy’s expression fell, the boy coming to a halt. “-that…” 

Thaddeus raised a quizzical brow, also coming to a stop as he noticed Billy’s wide-eyed look, following the boy’s gaze with a frown and- 

Oh.  _ Oh. _

“Hey, Billy,” Freddy pointedly greeted with crossed arms. “What’s up?” 

“Billy?” Darla spoke up, the shocked girl wearily staring up at Thaddeus with a furrowed brow. “What’s going on?” She turned her gaze towards the frozen Billy. “What’s  **he** doing here with you?” She asked, fear and uncertainty tangled in her voice that threatened to waver, Darla visibly tightening her grasp around Freddy’s hand. 

Billy looked at the awaiting Freddy, the older boy’s expression hardening as he questioned, “Why did you bring Darla here, Freddy?” 

Thaddeus glanced between the pair and Billy, not quite knowing whether he should intervene or not and risk weighing in on the quickly escalating tension. 

Freddy shrugged much too nonchalantly. “Oh, you know, just because we wanted to check up on you and see how you’re doing since you’re our foster-brother and all.” 

“You know that’s not what I meant.” Billy snapped, Darla anxiously looking up at Freddy. 

“What exactly do you mean then, Billy?” Freddy challenged, feigning ignorance and making Billy’s lips purse. “Oh, I’m sorry, should she not be here because the guy that literally threatened to have one of his demonic henchmen kill her is here?” Freddy prompted, Billy’s jaw clenching. “I assumed we didn’t have to worry about that since you sure did seem to be more than a little confident about believing that he’s apparently harmless now,” He sarcastically drawled, Billy’s teeth gritting. “Or are you worried Darla can’t keep a secret?” He knowingly added, Billy meeting Freddy’s unwavering stare with a glare, Freddy pointedly adding, “Because, gee, I mean  **I** can personally keep a secret, but if  **Darla** lets it slip that you’re aiding the guy that attacked us then you can’t really blame her for just wanting to make sure you’re staying safe and sound and, ya’ know, sane of course.”  _ Hint-hint.  _

Thaddeus glanced at Billy, not quite sure what to expect here when the two boys were at odds, wondering if his little sister being added to the equation might sway Billy’s decision to not report him to the authorities if put under enough pressure by Freddy. 

“You did not need to get Darla involved in this, Freddy,” Billy said through his teeth. “That isn’t fair on her and you didn’t need to endanger her by-” 

“ _ Endanger _ ?” Freddy repeated, Billy’s mouth clamping shut in annoyance. “Oh come on, Billy, surely she’s not in danger here when you put so much effort into making it sound like Sivana isn’t a threat,” Freddy paused, locking gazes with Billy before pointedly adding, “Unless he might kinda’ be a little dangerous after all?” 

Thaddeus glanced at Darla, frowning at how the girl uneasily shuffled behind Freddy, peeking out at the older man with untrusting eyes. 

“You obviously believe as much,” Billy aggravatedly retorted. “Did you even stop to consider that bringing her here might be a bad idea if you‘re possibly right?” Before Freddy could answer, Billy was sure to add, “Not that you are.” 

Freddy inclined his chin. “Go play with Sunny, Darla.” 

Darla’s brow furrowed in concern. “But-” 

“Go,” Billy concurred, that at least being one thing they could agree on. “He’s probably in his tent.” 

Darla shook her head while shuffling closer to Freddy, clinging to him more securely. “I wanna’ stay.” 

Billy released an exasperated exhale, about to urge her to go again so they could talk privately, although Freddy was the first to say, “You know she still has nightmares about the carnival, right? Like, they’ve literally only gotten worse since you left.” 

Thaddeus frowned at that, Billy glowering at Freddy while objecting, “Yeah, and you should know that she really doesn’t need to hear us talk about this and I’m pretty sure you bringing her here like this won’t exactly help with that anyways.” 

Freddy shrugged. “Desperate times calls for desperate measures,” He looked at Thaddeus. “And I for one personally haven’t forgotten the way he literally threatened Darla pretty recently just so he could force me to bring you to him again, Billy.” 

“He what?” Darla nervously asked. 

“That was a bluff.” Billy reminded with a sharp tone. 

“So that makes it okay?” Freddy countered without missing a beat. “And what about next time?” He continued to challenge ever so stubbornly. “What if his next threat isn’t a bluff?” 

“He hasn’t attacked me yet,” Billy frustratedly retorted with an irked shrug. “And he’s had plenty of opportunities to.” 

Freddy wasn’t convinced. “Why were you limping?” He interrogated, arms crossing. “Get into a fight?” 

“No,” Billy scoffed. “I got a blister on my foot from my crummy shoes.” 

Freddy’s eyes rolled. “Kind of like how you  _ sprained your ankle _ that one time your uncle pushed you down the-” 

“ **Don’t** .” Billy sharply interjected, anger and defensiveness and something else a bit more desperate rising in his tone. “I let  **you** know about that, Freddy,” Billy reminded more than a little pissed, Freddy’s brow furrowing at that. “ _ You _ ,” Billy repeated. “Don’t make me regret that when you  **know** I wasn’t sure about letting anyone-” Billy swallowed thickly, releasing a weary sigh as the corners of Freddy’s lips tugged downwards. “You know what happens if Darla tells Victor or Rosa about this, right?” Billy said, whatever he had started to say before being left unsaid yet evident enough. “They’ll be required to report my whereabouts to social services since they’ve probably already been contacted to see if I ran away there, right?” Freddy’s expression fell at that. “And if they don’t report it but social services somehow find out that they knew about me being here then that pretty much ruins any chance I have at coming back home because they’ll be investigated for not reporting a missing child, and if that investigation gets bad enough then you guys could be taken out of their care, too,” Billy swallowed thickly. “And with Uncle Eb adding fuel to the fire it could get bad enough.” Billy released a weary exhale. “You shouldn’t have gotten Darla involved in this, because now it puts pressure on her, too, and Darla does not need that when she’s just a kid, Freddy.” 

“Well maybe you should just go back to your uncle, then,” Freddy sighed in aggravation, and he didn’t mean that— he knew it was a bad idea but he was frustrated and he didn’t know how to handle this; he just knew he didn’t want Billy to be aiding their arch-nemesis when he felt like that in itself was dangerous and could very well go terribly wrong. “At least he’s didn’t-” 

“Didn’t what?” Billy scoffed, Freddy falling quiet. “No, go ahead, Freddy, I’d love to hear what you have to say,” Billy haughtily prompted, Freddy chewing on the inside of his cheek. “I’m sure you have the expert opinion on this as someone who never had to set foot in my uncle’s apartment.” He sarcastically snapped. “If you can reveal some grand outlook I hadn’t considered, then please go on and do that, because if you have something that might make me more anxious when I’m around Thaddeus than I am when I’m around my uncle, then hey— I’m all ears!” 

For a moment, silence hung in the air, Darla worriedly staring at Billy with wide eyes while Freddy just looked at him in concern with a furrowed brow, even Thaddeus eyeing over the boy with a frown at that last disconcerting sentence. 

“Billy,” Freddy started, more quietly this time and not quite as stubborn. “I wasn’t trying to-” 

“I don’t care what you were trying to do!” Billy interjected in a raised voice. “Getting Darla involved wasn’t the way to do it!” Freddy uncomfortably shifted around with his crutch, gaze briefly averting. “I get that you’re a little cautious about Thaddeus, and I don’t mind talking things out about that, all right?” Billy added, tone still sharp and upset, although he tried to make an effort to sound at least somewhat calmer despite it not being entirely successful, Freddy hesitantly meeting his stare again. “But I don’t have a lot of options right now, and when it comes to Thaddeus and my uncle at least- at least Thaddeus doesn’t-” Billy stopped himself from saying whatever he wanted to say once again, the older man questioningly examining him. “Look,” Billy sighed, evening out his voice the best he could. “Thaddeus has turned out to not really be that bad comparatively and I can look out for myself with him regardless, all right? With him I can at least say Shaz’s name if I have to since he already knows about me being the Wizard’s Champion, but I can’t do that with my uncle,” Billy averted his gaze, brow furrowing. “So if anything I’m safer with him, all right? I’m a lot more defenseless with uncle Eb.” 

Freddy had realized by now that he’d screwed up. “Okay,” He acknowledged with a weary exhale despite not wanting Billy to risk being around their arch enemy, either. “Okay— fine… that’s fine,” They could leave it at that for the time being and come back to this later. “Darla won’t say anything,” He assured, the girl frowning at that. “I’ll… try to explain this to her or whatever, all right?” Billy met Freddy’s stare. “I’ll handle it, okay? You don’t have to worry about this— you have enough to worry about; I’ve got it, yeah? I’ll keep things under control or whatever until we can… ya’ know… actually talk about it, uh, properly, I guess?” 

“Okay.” Billy mumbled, arms crossing as he averted his gaze again, jaw clenched. 

Freddy frowned. “Sorry about… approaching it like this… and all that.” 

“Okay.” Billy repeated, acknowledging the apology but not quite sure as to whether or not he was ready to accept it when the extent of the potential risk Freddy had brought in with this was not something Billy was about to readily forgive right away since that might make it seem less serious than it was, wanting some time to cool off first. 

Freddy’s brow furrowed in concern, glancing at Thaddeus with a glare before looking down at Darla with a frown. “C’mon.” 

The corners of Darla’s lips tugged downwards as she glanced between the silent Thaddeus and upset Billy. “But-” 

“Let’s come back later, all right?” He gently beckoned, walking towards the sidewalk with the girl still clinging to his hand. “Billy will be fine.” Probably. Maybe. Hopefully. 

Billy stormed off in the opposite direction as the pair walked off while Freddy began explaining things to Darla the best he could, Thaddeus frowning and finally speaking up to say, “Billy-” 

“Don’t.” Billy objected, ignoring the ache in his feet as he limped off towards his sleeping bag, not wanting to deal with Thaddeus’s superiority complex right now. 

Thaddeus didn’t know how to approach this— didn't know if he wanted to approach it… didn’t know if he should. “Don’t what?” 

“You don’t need to offer to listen or whatever,” Billy answered, short and sharp and more upset than Thaddeus had recalled ever seeing him. “I don’t need to talk,” He quickened his pace, Thaddeus grimacing at the way that made Billy’s wound bleed more profusely as crimson occasionally speckled the ground. “I didn’t really even want to talk about any of that B.S. in the first place and it’s pretty much Freddy’s fault I had to bring up that bull-” Billy tripped, not falling but stumbling forward some, causing the wound to stretch and open more so as he released a string of cuss words that earned a few looks from residents of the underpass, their prying eyes looking away as Billy came to a stop, the throbbing in his ankle becoming prevalent. “Son of a-” 

“Are you all right?” Thaddeus asked, halting next to the boy. 

“It’s not funny.” Billy defensively snapped. 

“It’s not,” Thaddeus agreed, Billy frowning upon realizing the older man wasn’t being sarcastic. “Are you all right?” He repeated patiently— calmly. 

“Yes.” Billy instantly answered before his frown deepened and he said, “I mean, yeah, I guess?” Billy’s brow furrowed. “Maybe?” Billy’s gaze averted, obviously becoming overwhelmed and anxiously looking around at the people who kept glancing their way. “I don’t know.” He confessed, arms self-consciously crossing. 

“Do you need help making your way over to your sleeping bag?” Thaddeus inquired. 

“No,” Billy grumbled. “I don’t  _ need _ -” 

“Would you like help?” Thaddeus corrected rather than retorting, no anger or annoyance seeming to easily rise in his voice. 

Billy almost felt as though he was locked in place with how tense he was, muscles uncomfortably taut, his skyrocketing discomfort making him rigid down to the bone as his very anxieties began to tangle and coil in his core. “Okay.” He mumbled, stiffening as Thaddeus rested a hand on his shoulder. 

“Come along.” Thaddeus quietly beckoned, no ounce of impatience in his tone, feeling Billy relax just a bit as he gave a slight nudge to his shoulder, Thaddeus not lowering his hand until Billy managed to take a few steps forward. “Easy-” 

Billy flinched as the wound on his ankle pulsed again, instinctively grabbing Thaddeus’s arm as he noticed a few more people glance at him before looking away, embarrassed by how badly he was shaking and blaming it on the cold weather. “Sorry,” He embarrassedly mumbled, grasp loosening as he felt Thaddeus tense at the unexpected grab. “I just-” 

“It’s fine.” Thaddeus acknowledged without pulling away or telling Billy to let go, causing the boy’s fingers to flex rather than retreat. 

“I should probably know how to walk,” Billy joked in an attempt to ease the tension. “Considering I’ve been doing it for fifteen years. 

“No need to be so hard on yourself,” Thaddeus dismissed. “Most people don’t begin walking until after about a year, so I reckon you’ve only had fourteen years of practice.” 

Billy blinked. “Was that-” A weary smile tugged at his lips. “Was that supposed to be a joke, or-” 

“Yes,” Thaddeus answered, wondering if conversation might help distract the boy and put him at ease some. “Although in my defense jests aren’t precisely my forte.” 

“That was-” Billy let out a shaken up laugh. “I mean, that was actually kind of funny, so-” 

“I’ll try to not take your evident surprise as an insult.” Thaddeus replied, earning a snicker. 

“Thanks.” Billy mumbled as they reached the sleeping bags, finally releasing Thaddeus’s arm and sitting down. 

“Do you mind if I make a personal inquiry?” Thaddeus asked, Billy hesitantly shaking his head and awaiting the question. “Was that typical?” 

Billy frowned. “Was what typical?” 

“That episode you just had.” Thaddeus clarified, studying Billy’s expression. 

“Oh.” Billy averted his gaze, rubbing his upper arm. “I dunno’— maybe? I mean, sometimes I panic about stuff and freeze up or whatever, but that usually only happens when I’m with people like, uh, ya’ know…” 

“Your uncle?” Thaddeus offered, sitting on his sleeping bag a few feet away from Billy’s, eyeing over the boy. 

Billy gave a small nod of confirmation. “Yeah, and a few, uh, other foster families I had,” Billy chewed on his lower lip. “But never, like, the Vasquez’s or anyone like that. Well, not anymore, anyway; when I first got homed with them it sometimes happened when Victor lectured me, but it stopped after a while since his lectures could be stern but never got, like, really bad outside of that.” 

Thaddeus gave a nod of understanding, considering what Billy had said to Freddy before prompting, “Do you feel as though it’s normal to feel safer around a foe than your own uncle?” 

Billy played with a string on his gloves. “Not really— no… I know it’s not.” 

“I held you underwater when you were defenseless, Billy,” Thaddeus reminded as Billy chewed on the inside of his cheek. “Has your uncle done something worse than that?” 

Billy stilled. “I dunno’.” 

Thaddeus inclined his chin, that almost being answer enough. “What do you mean you don’t know?” 

Billy just stared at the ground, not wanting to meet Thaddeus’s gaze. “It’s different,” Billy softly answered, almost not loud enough to hear. “We were brawling and you were, like, actively trying to make me give you the power that the Wizard gave me, but when I get hurt around him it’s accidents, but…” Billy trailed off. 

“But?” Thaddeus asked, head tilting. 

Billy hesitated. “But at least you and me are enemies— enemies are supposed to combat each other or whatever,” He said after a moment. “But I’m pretty sure uncles aren’t supposed to push their nephews around so much that they get things like burns and stuff,” Billy looked up at Thaddeus. “Plus, when we’re both normal like this and not battling like Champions I feel safer around you, because-” Billy averted his gaze off to the side again. “-because you don’t hit-” 

“Has he hit you?” Thaddeus asked, voice tinged with anger that his measured calmness could only do so much to suppress. 

Billy quickly shook his head while assuring, “No— he only shoved me around at worst… but sometimes he acts like he's going to when he gets super angry. I mean, there have been a few times where he backhanded me when I acted out, but-” 

“That’s hitting, Billy.” Thaddeus interjected, firmly yet quietly. 

Billy shook his head while saying, “No it’s not. He never does it hard enough to bruise or make me fall and he only does it when I do something I’m not supposed to, so-” 

“If he strikes you then that is hitting you.” Thaddeus unwaveringly stated. 

“I’ve been knocked around before, all right?” Billy blurted out, Thaddeus going quiet at that. “Most of the foster homes I went through were fine for the most part but some of them sucked and the guy that got me put in juvie could get more than a little brutal, okay?” Billy looked up at Thaddeus, meeting his stare. “It’s a lot different and I really don’t like making a fuss about something that pales in comparison or whatever when the worst I’ve gotten from Uncle Eb was a fractured arm and-” 

“A fractured arm is not something to be dismissive of, Billy.” Thaddeus spoke up, beginning to realize just how serious this was. 

“It was just a hairline fracture though,” Billy defended. “And it wasn’t his fault-” 

“How was it not his fault?” Thaddeus asked unconvinced. 

“Because it was an  _ accident _ .” Billy repeated in frustration, not seeing why Thaddeus didn’t seem to understand that. 

“All right,” Thaddeus said, aware this was likely an upsetting topic for the boy, calmly asking, “How was it an accident?” 

“I tried to sneak out to spend some time with Freddy when I was supposed to be grounded and he caught me,” Billy explained as though this was the most reasonable explanation in the world. “Instead of listening when he told me to go back to my room I just went to leave anyway, so he shoved me away from the door,” Billy felt like this should at least make Thaddeus realize this was all just a misunderstanding. “He pushed a little harder than he meant to and I fell,” Maybe Thaddeus had just assumed the worst because he hadn’t had all the facts, but Billy was presenting them to the older man now so that should clear things up. “It was my fault for not listening and making him resort to that,” Billy confidently stated. “He ended up having to pay for my medical bills and he wouldn’t have taken me to the hospital if he’d wanted to cover up something so he wasn’t in the wrong.” 

“If he pushed you hard enough to cause your arm to fracture then that puts him at fault, Billy,” Thaddeus spoke up, Billy’s brow crinkling and the corners of his lips tugging downwards, the boy not replying. “Would you excuse it as an accident if you pushed Darla down and caused her arm to break?” 

“That’s different.” Billy objected, looking up at Thaddeus with more of a frown than a glare. 

“In what way is it different?” Thaddeus inquired, head tilting. 

Billy’s frown deepened, the boy giving a shrug and looking off to the side. “It just is, all right? She’s a little kid and I’m old enough to hold my own.” 

Thaddeus broodingly studied Billy for a moment. “Is there a reason as to why you’re so quick to defend your uncle when you claim to hate him?” 

“I do hate him,” Billy grumbled. “But I don’t wanna’ blow things out of proportion by slandering him.” 

“Speaking the truth isn’t slander, Billy,” Thaddeus stated in more certainty than the boy himself could muster. “You should not be receiving injuries from an adult that’s become your designated caregiver— regardless of whether or not he means to inflict the injuries in question,” Billy’s expression faltered, the boy chewing on his lower lip. “If he cannot care for you without causing injury then he should not keep you in his care.” 

“I’ve had worse, though,” Billy mumbled. “Like, it’s really not that bad so I don’t wanna’ complain when it could be a whole lot worse.” 

“Being in less danger is not acceptable given how it implies you're still in some amount of danger,” Thaddeus asserted, maintaining his position on the matter. “You should be in a household without risk of being stricken given how that is not an acceptable punishment and you should not have to concern yourself with alleged accidents that could occur within that household,” A pause. “You need to become aware of the fact that once something occurs frequently enough it is likely no longer an accident; there is a danger in excusing that and allowing it to potentially escalate further.” 

Billy’s brow furrowed as he looked up at Thaddeus, eyeing over the older man with a frown. “You’d probably get the Wizard’s powers if something did end up happening to me anyway,” He said with a shrug, and Thaddeus didn’t like that— he didn’t like how dismissively Billy was talking about his own well-being being put in jeopardy as though he didn’t care about how this outcome could be dire if his uncle kept him under his supervision. “So I really don’t know why you’d care about something like this when it seriously isn’t your problem— it’s mine, and I know that you don’t really care about my problems, and that’s fine because I honestly wouldn’t expect you to,” Billy was stuck so he didn’t see a point in fighting this when his uncle kept winning custody battles and he didn’t want to cause the Vasquez’s more financial trouble in their attempt to fight legalities to try and get him back. “If you end up being right then you’ll be able to be smug about telling me so, and if I end up being right then I’ll be fine anyway, so it shouldn’t really matter to you either way since it doesn’t exactly concern you.” 

“I would not want to gain the Wizard’s power through those means,” Thaddeus informed, Billy’s expression faltering again. “You can be a thorn in my side, Champion, but that doesn’t mean I particularly want you to undergo mistreatment given how I am not interested in seeing you suffer; I’m merely interested in achieving the power I seek,” A pause. “Although I do not by any means want you to experience neglect just so I can achieve that power when you are a mere boy that frankly doesn’t deserve what you’ve disclosed,” Thaddeus met Billy’s stare while pointedly saying, “You do not deserve to be mishandled by someone who is supposed to be your guardian for one reason or another. That includes for sneaking out and for withholding your powers.” 

Billy didn’t break away his gaze that time, studying Thaddeus right back before hesitantly asking, “Why are you so set on telling me stuff like this when you’ve never really wanted to talk much before? Like, you’ve made it pretty obvious you don’t care, so why do you suddenly want to make sure I’m staying safe or whatever with this specifically? Are you familiar with this stuff or something?” 

Thaddeus could get angry now— he could convince himself that his anger would be justified by this boy’s unwarranted prying; he could make it clear that it wasn’t as though this meant he cared in the least because Billy should not be overstepping boundaries by asking him about his own experiences. Thaddeus could be exceedingly bitter and in doing so remind Billy that they were enemies in all the ways that counted. 

For one reason or another, he didn’t do that, though. 

“Yes.” Thaddeus answered even though he didn’t have to— even though he could have dismissed the question and left it at that since convincing Billy that he needed to be careful was not his responsibility. 

“Oh,” Billy said, obviously not expecting Thaddeus to admit as much given the taken aback expression on his face. “So you had problems with this kind of stuff in your family, too, or..?” 

Thaddeus didn’t have to elaborate— he could leave his answer as was. “Yes.” He confirmed nonetheless, because maybe Billy needed to hear this from someone that knew where he was coming from to an extent. 

Billy’s expression fell. “Oh,” Billy said, more softly. “Sorry to, um… I’m sorry to hear that,” Billy eyed Thaddeus over uncertainly. “Are you okay now?” Thaddeus raised a brow, evidently not expecting the boy to return his concern when he was a grown man who had already worked through something that happened decades ago in his own way. “Sorry— that was probably a silly question,” Billy acknowledged, rubbing the side of his neck. “You don’t have to answer that if you don’t wanna’.” 

Thaddeus admittedly didn’t know how to answer the question because he felt as though the answer was complicated and not something he himself was even quite ready to address despite all the time that had passed since a rather unpleasant childhood. “Are you all right?” He asked instead since this was about Billy rather than himself, turning the conversation back toward the boy. 

Billy noticed the evasive change in subject, although he didn’t comment on it, not wanting to make Thaddeus talk about something when the older man was allowing him to choose what he did and didn’t personally reveal. “I guess?” Billy said with a shrug. “I mean, I’m pretty sure I might kind of feel better, actually,” He swallowed thickly. “With having a chance to talk about this and all,” He elaborated as he tried to figure out just what he was feeling, honestly experiencing what would best be described as an overwhelmed numbness as he tried to process everything that his own arch-enemy had just said to him, still trying to grasp the fact that Thaddeus had really taken the time to talk through something like this with him. “So thanks.” Billy didn’t know how exactly to feel about Thaddeus actually being patient and calm to this extent when it came to an experience that had caught Thaddeus’s attention more than usual, but Billy was pretty sure he was grateful for Thaddeus’s choice to not be indifferent given how that seemed like a super significant choice for the typically standoffish villain to make. 

Thaddeus gave a nod of acknowledgment. “Do you need to discuss anything else?” Billy shook his head somewhat embarrassed about the fact he’d essentially just spilled a good portion of his secrets to his number one nemesis. “I’m going to go ask Tawny if he has any antibiotics or bandages for your ankle,” Thaddeus informed while standing. “Do you need anything else while I’m up?” 

Billy seemed to consider that for a moment. “Fresh lobster with a Caprese salad and homemade garlic pasta on the side?” He joked with a smirk, seemingly getting back to his old self. 

Thaddeus scoffed. “I’ll be sure to check the canned food box for that.” He stiffly replied while walking away. 

Billy grinned— there was the dry sarcasm he was used to. “Don’t forget the fancy bubbly water.” 

“ _ Sparkling _ water?” Thaddeus drawled, judgment evident in his tone. 

“Yeah, that stuff!” Billy confirmed, snickering at the way Thaddeus looked over his shoulder at him unimpressed before sighing and shaking his head at the boy’s antics, returning his gaze forward without another word. 

The two seemed to have had met a certain understanding of sorts, and while the extent of that understanding wasn’t entirely clear to either it was still something that allowed them common ground and that in itself was significant— even if Billy could still be a handful despite that and Thaddeus could still be standoffish, because this new finding at least made Billy seem like he was more than just insufferable and Thaddeus seem like he was more than just indifferent. 

Thaddeus could be cold but he was not entirely cruel. Just the same, Billy could be brazen but he was not exempt from vulnerability. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it’s been a while since I updated so please accept this long(?) chapter as an apology for the hiatus. Some peoples weaknesses are tempting wicked entities while others are pure hearts that don’t back down. Other times it’s stuff like college being a bit of a drain and time consumer. 
> 
> Anyway, I appreciate all the kind and motivating feedback you guys left in the previous chapter! Thank you so much it genuinely meant a lot! I really do cherish such inspirational comments! 
> 
> In any case, I felt like Thaddeus and Billy really needed to have a genuine conversation before they could make any significant leeway since only so much progress can be made with things left unsaid, so there’s definitely a lot of dialogue in this chapter since it’s geared towards that notion. How’d you guys like it? Any opinions? 
> 
> Also... since Halloween is coming up I found a reaction pic from a compilation of awkward family photos that I’m absolutely convinced would be Thaddeus begrudgingly accompanying Billy to a haunted house. I wanted to include the picture as a little treat so you can find it below if you want to take a look. It’s from the Haunted House Reactions meme that came up a while back. 
> 
> http://s3.awkwardfamilyphotos.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/22182100/desktop-1444145066.jpg


	13. Good Enough

“It’s going to get infected if you don’t disinfect it.” Thaddeus firmly stated. 

Billy frowned, glancing down at the blister on his ankle that he’d gotten from his shoe before looking back up at Thaddeus. “Why can’t I just put the bandages on it?” 

“Because you need to disinfect it first,” Thaddeus answered somewhat impatiently since that apparently wasn’t clear, earning a furrowed brow and giving a scoff. “Trying to act like a kicked pup won’t change that,” He incessantly held out the bottle of antibacterial soap. “And if it does get infected it’ll hurt quite a bit more than cleaning it would.” 

Billy frowned at Thaddeus, earning a pointed look as the older man gestured for Billy to take the bottle. “Fine,” The boy sighed, reluctantly taking the container and carefully pouring what would barely qualify as a tiny droplet just on the edge of the wound before straightening up and casually saying, “There.” while holding the bottle back out towards Thaddeus. 

Thaddeus crossed his arms. “Would you prefer me doing it for you instead?” He threateningly offered. 

“No,” Billy huffed, quickly yanking the bottle back before Thaddeus could take it, clinging to it defensively as Thaddeus waited for him to hurry things up. Billy paused, glancing down at the bottle before uncertainly looking back up at Thaddeus, the awaiting older man not wavering in the least. Billy released a heavy exhale, annoyedly grumbling something under his breath while begrudgingly pouring the soap directly over the wound, and- “Geez!” Billy hissed, practically bristling. “Why’s it smell like alcohol?!” 

“Because Tawny mixed it with hand sanitizer and cleaning alcohol,” Thaddeus answered as though that should be obvious while wetting a clean rag that Billy had stolen from his uncle’s place. “Here,” He offered, turning off the public bathroom’s sink. “Dab it in.” He held out the cloth to the visibly antsy boy. 

“Can I not just wipe it off?” Billy sighed in exasperation, the burning in his ankle becoming more and more prevalent. “I’m pretty sure it’s good now.” 

“It needs more than a few mere seconds to do its work.” Thaddeus denied, Billy releasing a frustrated exhale and reluctantly doing as told, wincing as he dabbed at the sore area he’d gotten the day prior; Thaddeus hadn’t managed to convince him to disinfect it until this following evening. “I assumed you would be aware of how to handle this given how much time you’ve spent on your own out here.” Billy glanced at him with a glare, Thaddeus dryly informing, “That was a comment— not an insult.” 

“I usually carry Neosporin with me,” Billy mumbled, still occasionally flinching as he continued dabbing at the reddened area. “Or I used to, anyway, but I didn’t really need it anymore after moving in with the Vasquez’s, so-” Billy gritted his teeth, the sting making his jaw clench and his fingers flex around the rag. 

“Is that not as pleasant as Neosporin?” Thaddeus mused ever so knowingly while filling up a clean plastic cup with water. 

“Oh no, it’s great.” Billy sarcastically scoffed. 

“Here,” Thaddeus said, holding out the cup. “You can wash it off now.” 

“Thanks.” Billy sighed in relief, gladly pouring the water over his ankle before taking a hand towel to dry it off, tying a torn strip of cloth around his foot afterward. “Do you wanna’ play some more chess?” He suggested, carefully slipping the shoe back around his bandaged up foot. 

Thaddeus quirked a brow. “You want to lose a twelfth time in one day?” 

“I might not lose,” Billy huffed. “And I almost had you on, like, the ninth try or whatever it was.” 

“If you call having six pawns against a queen, king, knight, bishop, and rook _almost_ _having me.”_ Thaddeus muttered unconvinced. 

“I still got you in check, though,” Billy reminded while walking towards the exit, carefully stepping lightly to avoid putting more pressure on the injury than necessary. “So that was pretty close.” 

“It was,” Thaddeus acknowledged, patiently walking alongside Billy and allowing the boy to take his time. “Although close only counts in horseshoes.” 

Billy groaned, rubbing the healing burn on his arm. “You literally sound just like my math teacher.” 

Thaddeus glanced down at the boy. “How is that healing up?” 

Billy shrugged, tugging his sleeve lower over the faded mark. “It doesn’t sting anymore but it kind of itches.” 

“Don’t scratch it,” Thaddeus scolded. “It’ll scar.” 

“Okay, Dr. Thad,” Billy mumbled with an eye roll. “Wait— if you have a Ph.D. then you are  **technically** a doctor, right?” 

Thaddeus wasn’t sure he liked the way Billy asked that, the boy’s tone a bit too curious for his liking. “I have the title of doctor in an academic sense but not a medical one.” 

“So if I needed a doctor’s note, so to say, to hypothetically excuse me for a bunch of absences so I could attend the school banquet with the rest of my friends… then you could allegedly make that note and sign it with your title as a doctor?” 

“No,” Thaddeus scoffed. “And even if I could I doubt you’d want an official criminal being the one to excuse you.” 

Billy’s shoulders slumped. “Oh… okay.” 

“Are you not permitted to attend this event after a certain amount of absences?” Thaddeus assumed. 

“Yeah,” Billy sighed in confirmation. “After more than thirty unexcused absences a quarter you’re banned from going,” He stuffed his hands into his pockets. “It’s not like I would have been able to go anyway without them notifying uncle Eb, I guess… plus, there’s a ten-dollar entry fee and I don’t exactly have that right now.” 

The corners of Thaddeus’s mouth tugged downwards. “You’ve had over a month’s worth of absences just this quarter?” 

Billy nodded, rubbing his upper arm and averting his gaze to the side. “I got grounded a lot.” 

“If you report that your uncle prevented you from receiving an education as a means of punishment then they may reconsider restricting you from attending events due to as much.” 

“I don’t wanna’ cause a fuss,” Billy dismissively mumbled. “Besides, I don’t really care about going to some lame school party anyway,” He shrugged off. “I just wanted to hang out with Freddy and Pedro there.” 

Thaddeus released a quiet exhale of annoyance, wondering if the ever so stubborn Billy would ever even consider taking his advice regarding the boy’s uncle. “Perhaps the school should  _ make a fuss _ about their students being mistreated.” 

“I wouldn’t call it mistreatment,” Billy grumbled. “He’s just strict.” 

“Oh yes, I’m sure that if either of your previous foster parents isolated Darla in such a manner then you’d undoubtedly defend that as them merely being a bit strict just the same.” Thaddeus countered with dry sarcasm. 

Billy gave Thaddeus a look. “That’s not the same. They wouldn’t do that.” 

“Why not?” Thaddeus challenged less smugly and more pointedly while returning Billy’s look, trying to get the boy to listen to reason. “Because they’re actually adequate in their care for the juveniles they’ve taken under their wing?” That earned a slight glare of annoyance from the younger boy. “Do you truly not question an ounce of your uncle’s adequacy as a guardian merely because he’s not as harsh toward you as some previous foster families have-” 

“I don’t want to talk about this.” Billy stated, lips pursing. 

Thaddeus released a short exhale, nonetheless acknowledging, “Fine.” Billy frowned at the irked tone, turning his gaze forward with a furrowed brow, Thaddeus glancing at him and emitting a quieter sigh. “Is the chessboard still near the sleeping bags?” 

Billy perked up, giving a nod of confirmation. “Yeah, Tawny said we could keep it until someone else asks for it.” 

“I wouldn’t be opposed to playing another round,” Thaddeus muttered, absolutely not caring about the way Billy cracked a smile at that and certainly not feeling relieved by it. “If you’re still up for one.” 

“Yeah, totally,” Billy readily accepted. “If you’re good with that? I mean, I know I kinda’ suck at it, so if you’re getting bored then we could do something else if you have another thing in mind or whatever.” 

“I enjoy playing chess with-” Thaddeus caught himself, dismissively correcting, “I enjoy playing chess.” 

Billy’s eyebrows raised. “Were you…” A smirk twitched at his lips. “Were you gonna’ say you enjoy playing chess with me specifically, or-” 

“No.” Thaddeus scoffed, hesitating before begrudgingly glancing at the boy with a much too pleased grin and haughtily informing, “I wasn’t.” 

“Well I like it when we have matches,” Billy experimentally said ever so casually, observing Thaddeus’s expression. “You’re actually pretty fun when we’re playing, honestly.” Or at least more at ease, in any case. 

Thaddeus parted his lips to say something before shutting his mouth, brow furrowing broodingly, giving Billy a quizzical look. “All right.” He returned his gaze forward, not knowing how to respond to the unexpected sentiment; he was not used to people… actually enjoying his company in any manner whatsoever. Usually, he strictly dealt with business when it came to social interactions and he was known for getting straight to it rather than engaging in pointless activities. In fact, Thaddeus tended to not even entertain conversations that weren’t geared towards benefitting him in some shape or form. Then, there was the constant reminder that Thaddeus’s childhood had ruined a lot of things for him to an extent— including chess. His father’s impatience that followed his attempts to teach it to his son had made Thaddeus’s relationship with the game in question complicated; he enjoyed playing the game, although he’d never really considered describing it as  _ fun _ per se. Frankly, the concept of the Wizard’s Champion having fun with him of all people regardless of how much the boy lost to him was something Thaddeus that didn’t fully understand. 

Billy’s comment had surely just been an offhanded quip. 

“Who did you usually play with, anyway?” Billy spoke up, Thaddeus snapping out of his contemplating and glancing at the boy who seemed to be genuinely intrigued, oddly enough. “You know, before you got thrown in jail and stuff.” 

“I usually didn’t have time to play when I was conducting my research regarding the Wizard’s lair,” Thaddeus answered after a brief pause. “I hadn’t played with many people before this outside of Jon, and that was a considerably long time ago.” 

“Did Jon teach you how to play?” Billy asked, head tilting. 

“No,” Thaddeus muttered a bit more stiffly. “My father did.” 

Billy’s expression fell. “Oh…” Billy cleared his throat. “Well you’re a pretty good teacher, in any case,” He said, turning the subject away from family since Thaddeus didn’t seem to like talking about that. “Like, it’s honestly kinda’ impressive you haven’t played with many people because your strategies seem pretty advanced.” 

Thaddeus eyed over Billy with a skeptical narrowed gaze. “Is there a reason as to why you’re feeling rather complimentary today?” What was the boy up to? Was this some kind of childish sarcastic joke? How boringly predictable. 

“I’m just trying to be nice.” Billy nonchalantly informed. 

Thaddeus gave Billy a questioning look. “Why?” Surely there had to be an ulterior motive. Was the boy trying to get something out of this? It wasn’t as though Thaddeus had much to give thanks to his current predicament as a fugitive. Perhaps Billy was hoping Thaddeus would return the sentiment and be less standoffish. Did the brat not understand he had no intention whatsoever of doing that? 

“Do I need a reason?” Billy asked with a shrug, earning a look that apparently confirmed as much, causing Billy to reluctantly confess with a sigh, “It’s pretty obvious you’ve eased up on me some so I’m trying to be nicer, too, all right?” He hadn’t wanted to say that, because now Thaddeus was going to get all defensive and corrective to make sure Billy didn’t get too chummy and- 

“I’d hardly call my tolerance toward you  _ nice.” _ Thaddeus stiffly retorted. 

“Fine,” Billy said with a tinge of annoyance in his tone. “You don’t have to call it  _ nice— _ you can call it whatever you want,” Thaddeus narrowed his eyes at the snappy reply. “I was just trying to say that your  _ tolerance _ or whatever is-” Billy paused, searching for the right word and letting out a frustrated exhale, because he wasn’t good at this— he wasn’t good at verbally getting out what he wanted to say. “I guess I basically appreciate it, okay? Even though you can make it  **really** difficult to do that sometimes,” Billy pointedly grumbled. “Like, I find this a lot more preferable than being at each other’s throats, ya’ know? Even if you can still be a jerk when I annoy you and stuff,” This wasn’t coming out right and the more Billy tried to elaborate the more it seemed like he was straying from what he was wanted to convey. “So I’m trying to make an effort here and be nice, okay?” Billy frustratedly huffed, more defensive than intended. “Because to me it does seem like you’ve been kind of nice-ish lately since you’ve at least been trying to look out for me some when it comes to my uncle even though I don’t actually need you to look out for me or make a big deal about my uncle,” Billy had known what he wanted to say before he actually tried to say it, and now these words were just coming out all wrong. “But I know that doesn’t change the fact that you can’t stand me and I don’t really expect it to and I know that so you don’t have to keep reminding me of that whenever I try to thank you for not being a total jerk.” 

Thaddeus wasn’t quite sure as to how he should best respond to that, the boy seemingly trying to express his gratitude one moment while accidentally insulting him the next. “You hardly have to thank me for practicing the bare minimum amount of human decency toward you.” He dryly settled on muttering, wanting to make it clear that he wasn’t interested in needlessly playing nice more than needed and not wanting Billy to mistake his tolerance as anything other than just that; he didn’t want the boy to expect this would lead to him making an effort to be more accommodating than necessary. 

“Well not many people outside of the Vasquez’s and some people at the underpass have even given me that,” Billy informed somewhat snappily, because he was used to most people giving him less than the bare minimum and he was used to a lack of any human decency. “So sorry for finding that a little noteworthy or whatever,” Billy felt like he was being both too honest and too inaccurate in what he was trying to say, words of hostility and gratefulness clashing as he blurted out things that spilled from his mouth on whims more than consideration while he stubbornly kept trying to correct himself despite just digging himself into a deeper hole upon doing so, his comments seeming perfectly sensical right until they were spoken. “I personally feel a lot less crummy when we’re not bickering and I seriously don’t see why you have to say something snarky whenever I try to be nice since it just ends up making both of us have a bad day,” At least when they were playing chess Thaddeus seemed more laid back, but for the most part the older man was still cold. “If you just wanna’ be left alone or something then I’d really prefer you literally just telling me that instead of being a passive-aggressive douchebag and hoping I’ll get the message,” Billy had started off mildly annoyed, but now he was working himself up by acknowledging something he’d been trying to shrug off for a while. “You act like you almost wanna’ get along one second and then you get all condescending the next and it makes me feel like I have to walk on eggshells around you or something.” 

“Then perhaps you should go bother someone else instead of expecting me to gladly welcome your company.” Thaddeus dryly retorted. 

“Fine,” Billy snapped, not seeing why Thaddeus had to go and piss him off like this when he’d just been trying to be nice. “Then maybe you should just mind your own business and stop trying to get involved with how I handle things between me and my uncle when I don’t need you  _ bothering _ me about that since you obviously don’t care.” 

For the love of- 

Thaddeus came to a halt, giving a look to the glaring boy that turned to face him with crossed arms. “Stop acting like a child throwing a tantrum and-” 

“Oh so you can call me a child when you’re being a demeaning prick but I’m not allowed to act like one, huh?” Billy sarcastically countered. 

“Don’t get miffed with me for standing by what I said about merely tolerating you,” The irked Thaddeus retorted. “If you want a friend to spill your emotions out to then go find another juvenile delinquent to bother instead of the likes of me.” 

“You know, you act like you’re the epitome of maturity,” Billy irritatedly said back. “But I’ve met literal kindergarteners that are way more polite than you,” Billy stepped forward, Thaddeus’s chin inclining as he stood his ground. “And believe it or not, being a complete snob doesn’t make you any more distinguished than me.” 

Thaddeus’s jaw clenched with gritting teeth and his mouth thinned, eyes icily narrowing as his hands flexed into fists, the older man taking the challenge and moving forward while sharply pointing at the boy as he firmly stated in a cold tone, “Just because I don’t want to kindly waste my time on a little troublemaker-” 

Billy’s eyes widened in uncertainty as he warily scrambled back, Thaddeus pausing and quirking a brow at how the boy nearly tripped over his own feet. The two came to a standstill as Billy remained on guard while Thaddeus tilted his head quizzically, not sure as to why the younger had gotten so spooked by a rather typical argument. Thaddeus considered questioning as much while a noticeably fidgety Billy subconsciously rubbed the burn mark on his arm in an anxious manner, and oh- 

_ Oh. _ Perhaps Thaddeus’s movements had escalated a bit too unexpectedly, then. 

Thaddeus frowned at that, because he’d assumed Billy was aware he had no intention of bringing any harm to the boy when they weren’t brawling as Champions, but apparently that wasn’t entirely clear— or entirely trusted, in any case. 

Thaddeus released a sharp exhale as he lowered his hand, no longer pointing at the boy that visibly relaxed some at that, the older man deciding it best to not engage in this since it wasn’t as though he was responsible for coddling Billy and promptly walking off. 

Thaddeus only got a few yards or so away, however, when he stopped and looked over his shoulder at the frowning boy that had unsurely stayed behind rather than followed. 

“Are you coming or not?” Thaddeus impatiently asked. 

Billy’s brow furrowed, his arms crossing. “Didn’t you want me to stop bugging you?” 

Thaddeus strongly considered confirming that and came extremely close to doing as much. “I was under the impression you wanted to play chess.” 

The corners of Billy’s lips tugged downwards as he shrugged. “Not if you don’t wanna’.” 

Thaddeus quietly released a long exhale. “I would be open to having a rematch if you’d like to have one.” Billy hesitated, eyeing Thaddeus over, obviously not convinced. “If I did not enjoy playing chess with you then I would not be inviting you to accompany me.” 

Billy’s expression faltered, evidently not expecting that. This time, however, Billy didn’t allow the notion of him personally being taken aback by Thaddeus letting up some to lead to him excusing Thaddeus’s initial harshness as he said, “Well maybe I wouldn’t assume you’d dislike playing it together if you didn’t act like you hate me.” 

Thaddeus narrowed his eyes at how the boy really had the gall to test him even further when he’d gone as far as to wait for Billy to hurry up. “Do you expect me to act as though I don’t loath my own foes?” 

“Well I don’t hate you.” Billy informed, doing so stubbornly yet also a bit hesitantly, perhaps. 

“And you assume saying as much will make me share that foolish sentiment?” Thaddeus dryly retorted. 

“I guess I felt like it might since you bothered giving me advice about my uncle.” Billy said without missing a beat, saying so angrily or maybe vulnerably would be a better way to put it. 

Thaddeus frowned at that, broodingly eyeing over the boy that wasn’t making any move to follow. “Do you plan on standing out here all day?” 

“Do you plan on acting like a jerk all day?” Billy asked right back. “Because you said I could basically tell you when you were acting like more of a douchebag than necessary and right now you are.” 

“And you are talking more than necessary.” Thaddeus retorted, not seeing why Billy had to keep arguing rather than just dropping this and letting it go. 

Billy’s lips pursed, the boy glaring at Thaddeus for a moment before finally storming forward, marching right up to the older man while saying, “You know, I really don’t like talking about the way my uncle handles stuff with anyone and you’re seriously just making me regret talking about it with you, so the next time you feel like advising me to do something about him while acting like a condescending prick maybe you should just leave it alone and not act like you have some kind of given right to make me talk about stuff that I don’t wanna’ get into when you refuse to listen to anything else I have to say.” 

“By all means,” Thaddeus permitted a bit too quickly without consideration. “Go bother someone else about your familial issues while I enjoy some time alone.” 

Thaddeus did not regret many things. In particular, he dismissed any notions of regret he felt towards crossing lines regarding Billy Batson. In the rare cases that he did feel any sense of regret, he tended to reckon it was merely regret toward having his time wasted when someone else could have been bothered. 

When Billy’s expression fell in a way Thaddeus wasn’t quite used to, however, he immediately regretted overstepping a boundary that even he shouldn’t have stooped to crossing since he very well knew the impact words like that could have on a mere boy in an unsavory situation. 

Billy’s brow furrowed and his gaze averted as he grumbled, “Fine.”, while moving to walk around Thaddeus, lips pursing when the older man released an exasperated sigh and stepped in front of him, Billy glaring up at the older man. “Literally how are you going to tell me to basically screw off and then not let me leave like a complete-” 

“I would not be at all opposed to discussing more pleasant matters during a chess game that I would very much enjoy playing,” Thaddeus stated, Billy pausing at that. “I acknowledge I acted more harshly than necessary and will make an effort to be more mindful of our interactions regarding topics that cause you discomfort,” Thaddeus continued, and he could very well regret reaching out to this extent but he was also aware that he’d considerably regret letting Billy feel as though he didn’t have an outlet to talk about his uncle; Thaddeus knew what a sense of isolation could lead to and he did not want Billy to be caught in a spot where he felt as though he couldn’t come to anyone for help— he did not want Billy to believe coming forward about his uncle made him a burden when Thaddeus was familiar with the consequences of the silence that stemmed from such. “I consider you a foe in most senses, although you are- to an extent- an ally for at least the time being given how you are aiding me and I do, admittedly, appreciate that sentiment even if I do feel as though it’s foolish since it doesn’t change the fact that we’re naturally enemies,” He added, Billy’s expression shifting from upset to rather surprised, the boy’s brow arching. “I tolerate you because of that appreciation and because I have become more aware of the fact that you are a mere child despite your appearance as Champion, but that appreciation is limited and if I acted as though it was otherwise then I would be manipulating your goodwill and I do not particularly want that to be how I repay you since my disdain toward you isn’t without its own limits just the same.” 

For a moment, Billy studied Thaddeus’s expression and just allowed that to sink in before averting his gaze and mumbling, “You don’t mind that I vented to you about my uncle, then?” 

“If anything I am relieved you felt comfortable enough to do so given how the notion of you keeping that a secret would frankly be much more concerning,” Thaddeus said, and assured— he was aware he was being reassuring… he didn’t try to act like he wasn’t; he reckoned Billy didn’t need someone acting dismissive right now. “And if you need to talk about him further then I would be more than willing to listen.” Billy frowned, his brow furrowing as the corners of his lips tugged downwards while he began chewing on his lower lip, playing with a string on his glove without comment. “Are you all right?” 

Billy shrugged. “Whenever you say something kind of… considerate or whatever… you end up just backtracking on that later in a really… I dunno’... snappy way, I guess?” 

“Then I will make an effort to not do that this time.” Thaddeus acknowledged rather than denied, this particular topic being a bit too complicated to dismiss. 

“Okay…” Billy mumbled, looking back up at the older man. “Thanks for making an effort to be…  _ considerate, _ then.” He hoped it was okay to put it like that, at least. 

Thaddeus instinctively considered dismissively making it clear that he wasn’t trying to be  _ considerate. _ “You hardly need to thank me for basic decency.” He instead dismissed. 

“Still,” Billy said, shrugging again and rubbing the back of his neck. “Bringing up that stuff and, uh… addressing it or whatever is a lot more than most people would do— or at least most people I’ve met, anyway, so thanks for not just ignoring it,” A pause, the boy joking, “It’s kinda’ funny that it seems like my literal arch-nemesis hears me out more than, like, most of the foster families I’ve had.” Billy’s laugh turned into a cleared throat when Thaddeus just frowned at that. 

“You really shouldn’t be putting people up on a pedestal for doing the bare minimum.” Thaddeus muttered, more of an observant comment than a condescending retort. 

“Well sometimes the bare minimum can seem like a lot to some people, apparently,” Billy said, used to the majority of people he’d encountered throughout the years just giving up on him due to the assumption that he was a lost cause who couldn’t be gotten through to. “So thanks.” He’d started learning to trust again after becoming a part of the Vasquez’s family, but as soon as his uncle had ripped him away from that the stability and progress he’d made faltered, and now a villain was helping him find his footing again oddly enough. It was a little weird and definitely unexpected, but it was significant, nonetheless. “Can we go play chess now?” Billy requested, honestly just wanting a little bit of a distraction from all of this. 

“Yes,” Thaddeus acknowledged, walking alongside the boy. “Have you eaten yet?” 

Billy paused. “Maybe.” 

Thaddeus gave Billy a look. “You skipped lunch— you need to eat dinner.” 

Oh so he’d noticed that, huh? “Can we just play one round first?” Billy huffed, eager to try his hand at beating Thaddeus again despite his lack of luck in doing so. 

“No,” Thaddeus said in a way verging on scolding. “It’s not healthy to regularly skip meals.” He commented, aware Billy apparently tended to have a habit of getting easily distracted and forgetting to eat. 

Billy rolled his eyes, sarcastically mumbling, “All right,  _ dad.” _

Thaddeus raised a brow at the smirk Billy gave him, the boy snickering rather pleased with himself. “Watch it.” He muttered, Billy not bothering to even try covering up his cheeky amusement. 

“Speaking of dads,” Billy continued nonetheless, Thaddeus inwardly grimacing at that much too casual phrase and the way the boy said it a bit too nonchalantly for his liking, assuming he wasn’t going to like whatever would come next. “I know you said you don’t have, like, a wife or kids and stuff, but have you ever… you know, wanted anything like that?” Thaddeus quizzically side-eyed Billy. “If that’s okay to ask?” Billy wasn’t sure as to whether all mentions of family were off the table for Thaddeus or if it was just his father and brother that he didn’t have an interest in discussing. 

“I really don’t see why it would be necessary for me to divulge that information.” Thaddeus replied with measured calmness that failed to suppress a tinge of annoyance. 

“Does everything we talk about have to be about necessary stuff?” Billy sighed with an eye roll, Thaddeus glancing at him with somewhat narrowed eyes. “If you just don’t wanna’ talk about it then that’s fine, though,” Billy quickly added. “I’m just trying to make conversation.” 

Thaddeus released a quiet exhale, head shaking. “I do not mind conversing with you about things that may not be technically necessary, although I’m not particularly fond of discussing my own familial matters.” 

Billy perked up, because hey— that was still progress if Thaddeus admitted he basically didn’t mind talking with him. “That’s fair, I’m kinda’ the same, honestly… except for when it comes to the Vasquez’s and all. I mean, I know I’ve sort of told you a lot about my uncle, but I don’t really tell many people about that stuff… That doesn’t mean you have to, uh, talk about your family too or whatever, though; it’s totally fine if you don’t wanna’ talk about any of that, obviously.” 

Thaddeus was not used to interacting with people who didn’t persistently try to pry their way into his private life when he made it clear he personally had no desire to discuss as much, the older man glancing at Billy with an arched brow and earning an awkward smile that he assumed was supposed to be reassuring, nearly scoffing at the notion of a child trying to be reassuring to the likes of him and returning his gaze forward. For a moment, however, Thaddeus contemplated over what Billy had said, seeming to consider something as he silently noted to himself that it wasn’t as though he had to engage in this conversation the boy had gladly offered to drop. 

In all honesty, Thaddeus frankly wasn’t sure as to just what prompted him to admit, “I had a wife at one point in time.” 

Thaddeus didn’t quite know what to make of the way Billy said in a rather shocked way, “Wait, what? Seriously?” Thaddeus gave a nod as he continued looking forward, not meeting Billy’s surprised stare. “What happened?” Thaddeus did side-eye Billy at that, though, the boy being sure to say, “If you, uh, don’t mind me asking or whatever.” 

“Things didn’t work out,” Thaddeus evasively informed. “Although neither of us really expected it to,” He dismissively added with a shrug. “We were good friends but not particularly interested in one another in that sense.” 

Billy’s head tilted. “Why’d you get married then?” 

“It was less of a marriage and more of a convenient arrangement, frankly,” Thaddeus answered, Billy noticing how the older man seemed to be picking and choosing his words even more carefully than usual. “We were barely out of high school and our families were already expecting us to enter what they deemed as respectable marriages, so we decided we might as well fulfill those expectations with one another.” 

“Oh,” Billy mumbled, a little confused and feeling like he might not be following along as much as he’d like to, wondering if he might just not be catching something here and assuming Thaddeus was just being as elusive as ever since the older man didn’t really like talking about private matters in general. “So you guys ended up getting divorced or something, then?” Thaddeus gave a nod of confirmation. “Were you still friends after, or..?” 

“Yes,” Thaddeus answered, Billy admittedly taken aback by that, too. “The divorce was a relief, really,” He bluntly stated. “Neither of us had particularly wanted to get married to each other in the first place and admittedly only done as much as a means of keeping on good terms with our families.” 

“Are you still friends?” Billy questioned. “Like, if you’re still friends then maybe you won’t have to just rely on getting in contact with Jon to, ya’ know… help you get back up on your feet and all.” 

“She has a family now,” Thaddeus informed. “And I do not want to complicate that by getting her involved in this.” 

“Couldn’t Jon have a family, too, though?” Billy pointed out. 

“He has a record,” Thaddeus informed almost nonchalantly enough to make Billy not catch that little significant detail. “He’d be able to provide more assistance to a fugitive than she would given how he can navigate the risks better.” 

“A record?” Billy questioned, earning a curt nod and hesitantly asking, “What did he do?” That earned a look, the older man obviously not about to answer that, Billy instead asking, “Well what was her name in any case?” 

“Venus.” Thaddeus answered, feeling less… reserved about discussing this than he initially assumed he would. 

“Oh like Aphrodite?” Billy promptly asked. 

Thaddeus parted his lips to answer before glancing at Billy somewhat perplexed by that reply, Thaddeus’s mouth shutting as he briefly returned his gaze forward with eyes that narrowed quizzically, the older man turning his gaze back toward Billy to give him a puzzled look and say, “What?” 

“Wasn't Venus, like, Aphrodite’s Roman name or something?” Billy explained, head tilting, genuinely intrigued, apparently. 

Thaddeus blinked. “I-” A slight smirk tugged at his mouth, the older man letting out a brief cross between an exhale and chuckle. “Yes, I believe it was, actually.” 

“Did you just  **laugh** at that?” Billy asked, jaw nearly dropping. “That’s literally the first time you’ve laughed at something I said.” And he hadn’t even been trying to be funny! 

Thaddeus cleared his throat, thinning out the subtle curve of his mouth. “Yes, well, she would have found that rather amusing as well, I assume.” 

So this was okay to talk about, then. “Where did you guys meet?” Billy asked, figuring it would be best to stick to a subject Thaddeus didn’t seem to be touchy about. 

A pause. “Camp.” Thaddeus answered a bit more stiffly. 

Okay— maybe this wasn’t a completely safe subject, then… but Billy wasn’t really sure as to why a question like that would throw off the conversation; maybe Thaddeus was just being a typical grump. “Like summer camp or-” Thaddeus froze, Billy blinking and coming to a stop as he trailed off at the sudden halt, the boy following Thaddeus’s gaze while asking, “What are you-”

Oh great. 

Billy’s eyes landed on Pedro and an unfamiliar boy on the other side of the underpass, the two talking to Tawny, Billy considering telling Thaddeus to go the other way and- oh okay Tawny had noticed them. That was fine, they just had to- yeah all right he was pointing at them now. Peachy. 

Pedro looked over at the pair, smiling at the sight of Billy and giving a wave, although his hand faltered upon noticing Thaddeus, the older boy’s expression falling. 

“Who’s with him?” Thaddeus muttered. 

Billy shrugged, just as done with this B.S. as Thaddeus was. “Don’t know— I don’t recognize him.” 

For a moment, the two just stood there, seeming to be at a standstill of sorts as Tawny gestured them over while Pedro remained where he was with a frown. The stranger that was about Pedro’s age looked over at them, smiling and giving a small wave. 

Thaddeus released a sharp exhale of annoyance. “Should we-” 

“Yeah.” Billy sighed, reluctantly walking over towards them. “Hey, Pedro!” Thaddeus begrudgingly followed. 

Pedro’s frown deepened, glancing at Thaddeus before looking back at Billy. “Hi?” 

“Did Freddy tell you to come here?” Billy asked with a forced smile, because if Freddy had pulled Darla into this and now Pedro then Billy was going to have to confront Freeman before he went and got more people unnecessarily involved. 

“No?” Pedro answered, brow quirking. “I, uh… I wanted to introduce you to, um…” He glanced at Tawny and then Thaddeus before looking back at Billy. “My, uh,  _ friend _ Ray.” 

“Hey,” The stranger with warm golden-brown eyes greeted, Billy turning his gaze toward the boy with deeply tanned skin and hickory brown hair. “You’re Billy, right?” He held out his hand. “I’m Raymond.” 

“Oh, uh, hey,” Billy mumbled, shaking his hand. “Nice to meet you.” He glanced at Pedro, noticing the way his older foster brother kept looking back and forth between him and Thaddeus. “Oh— right… this, uh- this is Jon.” He introduced as casually as he could manage to. 

Pedro squinted his eyes. “Jon?” Billy gave a quick nod and locked eyes with Pedro, the older boy’s frown deepening uncertainly at the look the younger was giving him, unsurely refraining from making a comment. 

“And this is Pedro.” Billy anxiously chuckled before clearing his throat, gesturing towards the older boy that Thaddeus had already met well before this. 

“Pleased to meet you.” Thaddeus dryly greeted, arms crossing. 

The corners of Pedro’s mouth tugged downwards as he questioningly glanced at Billy without replying, an awkward silence hanging in the air. 

“We have a fire going by the rations canopy if you and your pals wanna’ go warm up over there,” Tawny spoke up. “I should get back to taking stock of the canned goods,” He gave a warm smile. “Unless you boys need anything else?” 

Billy shook his head perhaps a bit too hurriedly. “Nope, we’re good,” He glanced at Raymond as Tawny began to walk off. “But Jon could show you where the burn barrels are,” He offered, Thaddeus blinking and looking at him with narrowed eyes, not expecting the boy to volunteer him as a tour guide. “And me and Pedro could go grab some, uh, water if you guys are thirsty?” 

“Oh we’re good,” Raymond assured with a smile. “You don’t need to do that, but thanks,” He gestured toward Pedro while informing, “We actually have a movie to catch in a bit.” 

Dang it— Billy needed to talk to Pedro alone. “Oh. Okay. Cool.” Billy frantically searched for an excuse to pull Pedro off to the side. “You mind if I show Pedro where my place is real quick? I had to move to a different area,” Billy wearily forced another smile. “Jon can show you a shortcut towards the end of the sidewalk that will get you to the movies faster if you want?” 

Thaddeus gave Billy a sharp look, having absolutely no idea as to where the movie theater was from here. 

“Sure, why not?” Raymond accepted with a shrug, Thaddeus refraining from rolling his eyes as he reluctantly began to walk down the sidewalk, Raymond following. “Neat fedora by the way, sir.” 

“It’s a trilby.” Thaddeus stiffly informed. 

“Should Ray be going off alone with him?” Pedro anxiously asked with a frown. 

“Yeah, uh, it’s kind of a long story, but yeah— don’t worry he should be fine.” Billy shrugged off, turning to face Pedro. “So listen-” 

_ “Should?” _ Pedro worriedly repeated. 

**“Will,”** Billy corrected. “He  _ will _ be fine,” He reassured. “Anyways, look-” 

“What’s he even doing here with you?” Pedro questioned more than a little concerned. 

“He broke out of a prison that sounded super shady so I didn’t wanna’ throw him back in there even though he’s a bad guy because it sounded like it had really crummy vibes that not even he should have to deal with but now that I’ve decided to not turn him in it’s basically my responsibility to keep him around and make sure he doesn’t try anything messed up, okay?” Billy blurted out. 

For a moment, Pedro just stared at the younger in disbelief before sighing, “Billy-” 

“I know that probably sounds like a super bad idea,” Billy admitted before Pedro could say anything further. “Ya’ know, considering he pretty much hunted us down with his demonic henchmen and all, like, only a year ago,” He acknowledged with a shrug. “But so far he’s actually been fine. I mean, he’s a little standoffish but he hasn’t actually tried to physically harm me or anyone else or whatever, so it’s honestly been going pretty well,” Billy rubbed the side of his neck, gaze briefly averting as he added, “Plus, he’s better company than my uncle Eb, but I guess that isn’t really saying much considering almost anyone would be better company than him,” Billy looked back up at Pedro. “But Thad seriously hasn’t caused any trouble so I’ve totally got this under control.” 

Pedro’s mouth curved downwards. “You’re on a first-name basis with Sivana now?” 

“Was that-” Billy frustratedly released an overwhelmed sigh. “Was that all you got from that, or-” 

“No, I just-” Pedro’s brow furrowed and his arms crossed. “It’s a lot to take in, all right? I just wanted to introduce you to Raymond, I wasn’t- I wasn’t expecting something like…  **this.** Like, at all, Billy.” 

“Okay, yeah, that’s fair, all right? I get that, but-” Billy noticed the way Pedro glanced over his shoulder, Billy looking behind himself, and oh great Thaddeus and Raymond were already walking back towards them. “But I need you to just trust me on this for now, all right?” Billy pleaded, looking back at the uncertain Pedro. “I’ve been handling this fine but if the cops get involved then that will make this super complicated since my uncle might get added into the mix and that’s honestly one of the last things I need right now, okay?” Pedro hesitated to reply, just broodingly eyeing Billy over in concern. “Look, now isn’t really a good time to talk about this since we’re, ya’ know… obviously rushed, and basically everyone but Euguene knows about this now anyway, so-” 

“Freddy and Darla knew about this?” Pedro asked, eyebrows raising taken aback. 

“Yeah, so how about you guys just all come here tomorrow or something so we can, like, all have this conversation at the same time without feeling like we basically need to rush or whatever, all right?” Billy offered more than a little antsy, aware that he was, unfortunately, going to need to address this some time or another. 

Pedro frowned at Billy, briefly glancing at the approaching Thaddeus and Raymond before returning his gaze toward the anxious younger boy, looking Billy over as the corners of his lips tugged downwards, Pedro eventually sighing, “Okay, I guess…” 

A look of relief washed over Billy’s face. “Thank y-” 

“I seem to have forgotten the shortcut.” Thaddeus spoke up, his annoyance toward Billy for making him do that evident in his tone. 

“No worries,” Raymond said with a shrug, walking over to stand next to Pedro. “The movie doesn’t start for another hour anyway,” He flashed a polite smile. “Nice meeting you guys.” 

“You, too,” Billy replied, not quite sure as to why Pedro had wanted to introduce his new friend when the older had never really been one to go out of his way to do so before. “So are you a transfer or something?” Maybe Pedro just wanted to make him feel welcomed. 

“Oh I don’t actually go to Fawcett,” Raymond answered. “My high school has a math tutoring program for upperclassmen that lets me go to different schools in my district to help out; it’s an extracurricular thing I’ve been doing to beef up my college resumé.” 

“He’s been helping me with geometry,” Pedro explained, a beat going by. “We’re um…” His gaze averted. “We’re actually…” A pause. “We’re going to the banquet together,” He revealed, hesitantly taking Raymond’s hand. “So I wanted to, you know… introduce you guys to each other and stuff.” 

Billy blinked, and oh-  _ Oh. _ “Oh! Hey man, that’s awesome!” Billy congratulated with a grin, Raymond cracking a smile and giving Pedro’s hand a reassuring squeeze. “Have you introduced him to Rosa and Victor yet?” 

Pedro shook his head as a nervous yet relieved smile subtly tugged at his mouth. “Just you and Freddy, so far, but I’m planning on inviting him over for dinner sometime,” Pedro’s head tilted. “Have you gotten a date yet?” 

Billy’s smile faltered. “Oh, uh… no— not really. I, uh-” He cleared his throat. “I can’t really go since I’ve had too many absences or whatever.” 

Pedro’s expression fell. “Oh… right…” 

Billy shrugged, nonchalantly dismissing, “It’s fine, though, I’ve, uh- I’ve never really even been into parties, ya’ know?” Pedro frowned at the less than convincing reassurance, Billy being sure to add, “You guys should probably go catch that movie before all the tickets get sold out, huh?” 

Raymond nodded, offering a sympathetic smile while suggesting, “Maybe you could join us sometime?” 

Billy didn’t really feel like being the third wheel of his foster brother and his boyfriend, but it was nice of the other to even bother considering including him when Billy assumed Raymond probably didn’t particularly want his boyfriend’s younger foster brother tagging along with them on date night. “Yeah, maybe,” Billy forced a smile. “Nice meeting you.” 

“Same to you,” Raymond replied before glancing at Thaddeus. “It was nice to meet you, too, sir.” 

Billy and Pedro both exchanged glances before unsurely looking up at Thaddeus, the older man acknowledging, “Likewise.” Billy visibly relaxed at that, honestly not knowing what kind of reply he’d expected from Thaddeus. 

“Have a good one.” Raymond farewelled as he and Pedro began walking away together, hands still intertwined. 

“See you tomorrow.” Pedro mumbled, looking over his shoulder at Billy with a brow furrowed in concern, uneasily glancing at Thaddeus. 

“See you tomorrow.” Billy said with a smile he hoped was reassuring, Pedro hesitantly tearing his gaze away from his younger foster brother and toward his boyfriend as the couple made their way down the sidewalk. 

Billy side-eyed Thaddeus, trying to get an idea of what he’d made of that interaction, not quite able to read the older man’s lack of a reaction, Thaddeus arching a brow upon noticing the stare and questioning, “What?” 

Billy shrugged. “I kind of expected you to be a little more demeaning since you’re, like, you know… basically sort of condescending to me and my foster siblings and, uh, most people I introduce you to.” 

“I wouldn’t say being reserved is the same as being condescending,” Thaddeus dismissively scoffed, walking over towards their sleeping bags, Billy following. “And they both seemed respectful enough,” A pause, Thaddeus pointedly adding, “Unlike some brazenly cheeky children.” 

“Okay, you know what,” Billy huffed, more miffed than angry, but frankly just relieved Thaddeus was being cool about Pedro and Raymond more than anything. “I’m still respectful even if I can be a little-” 

“Disrespectful?” Thaddeus dryly offered. 

“Says the guy that demanded my powers without any explanation and then sucker-punched me when I didn’t immediately give them to him,” Billy retorted without missing a beat, Thaddeus side-eyeing him. “I mean, you could have at least said  _ please _ or something, ya’ know,” Billy stuffed his hands into his pockets. “Instead of acting like it was my fault that I didn’t know the powers some Wizard dude forced me to accept were apparently something you’d been after for, like, decades or whatever,” Okay, maybe Billy was becoming a little too honest for comfort, now. “When it’s not like he gave me a manual on what to expect with having these powers and stuff.” 

A realization clicked as Thaddeus blinked, the older man looking down at the boy with an arched brow. “Did you not want the Wizard’s power?” 

“I didn’t say that,” Billy defensively denied perhaps a bit too quickly. “What kinda’ guy  **wouldn’t** want superpowers?” He pointedly added. “I mean, yeah, okay— technically I was possibly a little hesitant at first since I didn’t exactly know what the Wizard would be  **bestowing** upon me or whatever you wanna’ call it thanks to him being super vague and mysterious about it,” He confessed while sarcastically making a dramatic waving gesture with his hands. “And maybe I was sort of freaked out by it since I didn’t know how to control what he’d done to me at first, but who wouldn’t be freaked out by that?” Billy continued to ramble in a failed attempt to be nonchalant. “Plus, if I’m being completely honest, then fine— I’ll admit it was cool and all in the beginning, but then it began to seem a little less fun when you started targeting me and my family since I realized the Wizard had given me something that caught the kind of attention I really didn’t want to catch,” Billy swallowed thickly while rubbing his upper arm. “So not having a say in having to be responsible for keeping that kind of power safe did sort of suck considering it got me and the one family that actually felt like a  _ family _ involved in things we didn’t want to be involved in,” Billy chewed on the inside of his cheek. “But on the plus side I’m basically Philly’s favorite superhero now, so that’s pretty cool,” He casually joked with a shrug. “I’m pretty sure I’m, like, almost on par with Superman, so I can’t exactly complain since that’s what really matters.” He snickered. 

Thaddeus didn’t seem to find the jest particularly amusing. “I had assumed you’d wanted to be the Wizard’s Champion.” He’d apparently attacked a boy who hadn’t had a choice in being bestowed the power he’d obtained— that was certainly news… perhaps Thaddeus wasn’t the only one the Wizard had wronged, then. 

“I honestly just wanted to find my mom at the time,” Billy admitted, not quite blurting out the confession but not exactly considering it before the words left his lips, either. “I didn’t really understand what was going on until after I’d already said Shaz’s name and even after that I was still sort of confused since the Wizard just left me alone to figure it out myself,” He mumbled, tossing his backpack onto his sleeping bag. “But it’s not like I can regret getting myself into that since being lucky enough to become a superhero isn’t something people exactly complain about.” 

Thaddeus eyed over the boy for a moment, seeming to briefly consider something before eventually advising, “You shouldn’t be putting too much pressure on your foot,” He gestured towards Billy’s sleeping bag. “I’ll go get our rations.” 

“Why? So you can poison mine?” Billy joked on instinct more than anything, earning an unamused look. “Sorry— that was mean,” A pause. “But yeah why are you being nice about-” 

“Would you prefer I change my mind?” Thaddeus firmly interjected, because he was still not being  _ nice _ as far as he was concerned, although he didn’t outright correct Billy on as much this time. 

“No,” Billy huffed, sitting down on his sleeping bag and resisting the urge to rub his aching ankle as he mumbled a relieved, “Thanks.” 

Thaddeus gave a nod of acknowledgment while turning to make his way over to the rations canopy. He’d only gotten about halfway there, though, when he heard a rather familiar sound— a resemblance of a two worded phrase he’d first heard uttered decades ago that had lingered and followed him day after day thereafter. 

Except there was a difference this time. 

This time, that phrase did not sound like a mere whisper that could be mistaken as something such as a trick of the wind. It was not an urging. It was not a temptation. It was not an enticing request. 

This time, it rang loud and clear as a demand. A reminder. A warning. 

A threat, perhaps. 

_ Find us.  _

This time, it was more than just those two words. 

**_Help_ ** _ us.  _

The Seven Sins reiterated themselves. 

**_Us._ **

Thaddeus Sivana was their Champion. They were not pleased by the way he was wasting precious time helping their enemy. He should be spending that time trying to help them. 

_ Us.  _

Thaddeus should be helping himself by remembering what side he belonged to, because just as they had a grasp on him he had a grasp on them; he was their host and there was a bridge of sorts between them that allowed a sense of mutual influence to an extent. 

Thaddeus picked up two cans, not paying attention to what he’d grabbed. 

_ Find us. Help us. Us.  _

Thaddeus needed to remain aware of what was important so he didn’t stray from his purpose— the sooner he found them and regained his power, the sooner he and they would be free to do as they pleased again… the sooner no one could confine them. 

Except for the Wizard’s Champion, of course. 

That was fine— they could get rid of Batson as soon as they were freed… this time, they wouldn’t be foolish enough to allow him a chance to do things the easy way considering the tricky brat had thrown that chance away one too many times. They might not even be all that inconvenienced if the hero ended up faltering thanks to how the naïve boy had seemingly gotten a soft spot for the villain; if Billy hesitated then they could strike him down with ease and- 

Thaddeus’s grip tightened around the canned foods as he walked back over towards the sleeping bags.  _ No. _ He didn’t want to harm Billy more than necessary. Thaddeus had no qualms with killing those who had wronged him, although a mere child that had gotten mixed up in this mess did not need to be punished that severely when it wasn’t as though his involvement was even his fault. 

Yet if Billy had just transferred his powers to Thaddeus like he’d been told to instead of acting like a spoiled entitled brat then this could have been avoided. It wasn’t as though it was Thaddeus’s fault that the stubborn nuisance had refused to give him what was rightfully his. Thaddeus had offered mercy and given the cheeky hero several chances to do things the easy way and Billy had refused. Given this refusal, Thaddeus would just have to be merciless and- 

Billy looked over at Thaddeus, the older man noticing the boy had gone ahead and set up their chessboard. 

_ No. _ Thaddeus did not have to take out Billy if the boy wasn’t a threat. Billy had chosen to rescue him rather than allowed him to fall completely during their last battle. Billy was being a decent enough ally now by helping Thaddeus get back up on his feet when the hero frankly didn’t have any obligation to do so. There was a chance Billy would just leave him be if Thaddeus regained his power so long as Thaddeus didn’t attack first. Billy had only fought Thaddeus because he’d cornered the boy instead of letting him go. He didn’t have to have Billy’s power— he could be satisfied with just having his own power. 

Thaddeus sat across from Billy, scooting both cans of food towards the boy, letting him choose whichever he wanted. 

Although Thaddeus was aware Billy had become more of a hero than he’d initially been when they’d first met— he was aware Billy was likely not the type to run away anymore… he was aware Billy was keeping an eye on him because he felt as though it was his responsibility to ensure his enemy didn’t regain power; he was aware Billy would almost certainly confront him if he did regain that power given the potential risks that would pose to the boy’s hometown. 

Thaddeus didn’t particularly like being aware of that but he couldn’t very well change the facts. 

Billy took the can of SpaghettiOs, letting Thaddeus have the can of Beefaroni. 

Thaddeus would likely have to go against Billy to regain the power he was rightfully owed— power he’d spent decades searching for… power he’d known of long before he knew Billy Batson. 

“My uncle always threw a hissy fit whenever I ate one of these,” Billy commented with a snicker. “He literally kept track of, like, every single food item like a stingy jerk and would get mad whenever he found out I ate something without asking first.” 

Thaddeus’s spork paused above his own food. 

Then again, perhaps he wouldn’t have to go against Billy. 

Thaddeus hadn’t always been like this. In fact, he’d been a bit like Billy in some ways when he was younger. He’d been good, or at least what the world might deem as  _ good. _ Initially, he’d believed in a notion of what he’d been taught was morality; he’d refrained from doing things that had the potential to directly hurt others and he’d made an effort to be polite enough to those who turned their attention towards him. Thaddeus had been naïve, optimistic, and well mannered enough. He easily forgave, constantly apologized, and was ridden with guilt whenever he disappointedly failed to live up to his family’s expectations. He believed what many young children tended to believe without question. He’d believed to be good was to meet familial expectations and to meet familial expectations was to be good. Many people who carried the Sivana name had gone through the same typical cycle in which they grew up believing that it was only natural to feel as though one had to earn the acceptance of their own family at a young age while being careful to not disgrace them when striving to fulfill their endeavors since failure was unacceptable. Most Sivanas passed down that engrained value. Thaddeus Sivana had believed it for quite a while. He’d believed he could achieve a pure heart and prove as much to his father, brother, and the rest of his family. Prove the Wizard who had claimed that he lacked as much was wrong. Prove he was worthy of something unconditional and accepting and gentler than the edges that had hardened him over the years. 

Then, Thaddeus had grown up. He’d realized his family’s concept of purity was no more than a front to push an agenda that portrayed them as respectable for business purposes. He’d realized the Wizard wouldn’t gladly accept him with welcoming open arms any more than his own family would since he could be tempted and it did not matter whether or not he acted on those temptations since there would always be a lingering risk of them becoming too influential. He’d realized he was not good and pure nor was anyone else unless it personally benefited them. 

After years of being blamed for things out of his control, there came a point in which Thaddeus finally realized that his contempt matched the Seven’s own sins in a way that seemed much more natural than his attempts at conforming to pointless expectations. 

Thaddeus had become colder to the world around him upon realizing that he was the only one who could reliably look out for himself in a world where there were no lasting good and pure people. Accepting that harsh reality was what had kept him from meeting further harm and allowed him to take preventable measures in order to evade anyone who may interfere with his personal plans that he frankly had no desire to share with others that didn’t deserve to benefit from his own efforts. Realizing that his family and most others had done nothing else but weigh him down had kept him from facing the detrimental consequences of allowing that to persist unchecked. 

Perhaps he and Billy would not be at odds if the boy merely became aware of that same truth. 

Perhaps that was possible, because in some ways they were not so different. They had both been dismissed by the families that were supposed to look after them. They had both been treated less than kindly by the Wizard, from the sounds of it. They had both been given power that could change the tides of how others treated them, or in this case mistreated. 

Thaddeus, admittedly, could not help but wonder if the boy had ever possibly considered giving his uncle a taste of his own medicine much like how Thaddeus had confronted his father and Sid. He doubted the boy would ever admit to as much if he had, although at his age Thaddeus initially would have done the same in an attempt to convince himself of his own  _ goodness.  _

If he and Billy could potentially see eye to eye on the truth about goodwill eventually, however, then perhaps they could merely let each other be. 

“Oh!” Billy spoke up through a mouthful of SpaghettiOs, Thaddeus snapping out of his contemplation and glancing at the boy that was setting down his can of food. “I checked out some books at the library on my way back from work this morning,” He informed, zipping open his backpack. “I didn’t really know what all you like to read, so I figured you could just come with me next time or something if you wanna’, like, pick out whatever literature you’re interested in and stuff,” He dug through the bag. “But I got a few cookbooks and things like that since you said you like to cook and all,” Billy retrieved a handful of books. “We’re supposed to have some ingredients and stuff like that donated to us sometime this week apparently,” He set the stack of books in front of the older man. “So I felt like it might be fun to cook something together,” Billy rubbed the back of his neck, giving a nonchalant shrug. “You know, if you wanna…” 

Thaddeus arched a brow. “These had to be rather heavy to carry.” 

“It’s okay,” Billy waved off. “The library’s only, like, a mile away.” 

Thaddeus blinked. “That’s not exactly close,” He muttered, looking through the books. “I appreciate the sentiment.” Billy perked up at that, Thaddeus acting as though he didn’t notice the reaction rather than threatening to redact his statement, because he didn’t want to get too familiar with Billy but that didn’t precisely mean they couldn’t be a bit civil to one another. “What cuisine would you be interested in trying?” Thaddeus inquired, noticing each cookbook seemed to focus on foods from different regions; Billy had obviously put some consideration into this. 

Billy felt a smile tug at his lips, pleasantly surprised Thaddeus seemed open to his offer rather than reluctant. “I dunno’... I like breakfast foods?” 

“Such as?” Thaddeus patiently prompted. 

“Pancakes, eggs, and bacon are a favorite,” Billy answered. “But that’s kind of plain.” 

“We could make sweet soufflé hotcakes, soft boiled eggs, and possibly prosciutto if we have the right cut of meat.” Thaddeus suggested. 

“Are the hotcakes basically just pancakes?” Billy asked, head tilting. 

“Yes,” Thaddeus confirmed. “Although they’re considerably fluffier.” 

Billy paused, feeling a smirk tug at the corners of his mouth. “Hearing the Champion of the Sins say  _ fluffier  _ so confidently is, uh, kind of an experience to be hones-” 

“Do you want me to teach you how to make the dish or not?” Thaddeus annoyedly interjected, giving the snickering boy a look and threatening, “I don’t have to cook with-” 

“No no,” Billy amusedly spoke up, throat clearing as he covered up his laugh, managing to even out his smile somewhat but not completely, obviously still much too entertained by this. “We should totally plan on cooking that,” He cracked another smile, more genuine than amused. “It actually sounds kind of fun.” 

Thaddeus refrained from insisting that he had no intention to have  _ fun _ with the Wizard’s Champion, instead choosing to let that slide and dismissively commenting, “I used to have this one,” He eyed over the familiar Italian cookbook before handing it to Billy. “I’d recommend it,” Billy took the book, a beat going by before Thaddeus added with some amount of hesitance, “Jon and Venus borrowed it regularly.” 

Billy flipped through the pages, seeming more interested in the pictures of the finished products than the recipes themselves. “I’ll have to check this back out the next time Mary visits— she digs Italian food,” Billy glanced up at Thaddeus. “We should make something out of here, too,” A pause, Billy hesitantly inquiring, “What did you guys like to eat?” 

“Pardon?” Thaddeus asked, seemingly distracted by something Billy couldn’t quite place. 

“You and Jon and Venus,” Billy elaborated as he studied Thaddeus’s expression, hoping that was okay to ask, not wanting the older man to feel like he was prying and become defensive. “Was there anything from this you all liked?” 

For a moment, Thaddeus didn’t say anything and Billy hoped he hadn’t stepped too far. “Carbonara.” He eventually answered, tone seeming more measured than usual, not annoyed or amused or bored or anything, just sounding… even— expressionless. Somehow, that was worse than when he sounded irked. 

Billy frowned, eyeing Thaddeus over, considering something before mumbling, “Darla got really good at cooking a vegan chili recipe thing,” He played with a string on his glove. “I never felt like I’d miss vegan food,” He said with a small smile that faltered as quickly as it had risen. “But I honestly kind of miss eating it,” His gaze averted. “I miss eating with them, too,” A beat. “I miss  _ them,”  _ A beat. “Even though I try to act like being on my own doesn’t bother me.” He looked back up at Thaddeus. “So I get where you’re coming from if you miss-” 

“I don’t,” Thaddeus interjected, tone colder than he meant it to be, Billy falling quiet at that, Thaddeus frowning at how the boy just averted his gaze again. “And I don’t need a child trying to play therapist with me.” That also came out wrong. He’d meant it wasn’t as though it was Billy’s responsibility to discuss things Thaddeus had no desire in disclosing. 

Perhaps Thaddeus was admittedly being a bit more standoffish than necessary, but he also didn’t feel as though needlessly conversing about something he’d rather not was particularly necessary. 

“Okay,” Billy mumbled. “Sorry for bringing it up.” He shouldn’t have expected Thaddeus to welcome any comparisons between them. 

They could leave it at that— Billy had shrugged it off without being stubborn… Thaddeus didn’t owe him an explanation. 

Thaddeus released a sharp exhale. “It has been more than a couple of decades since I last interacted with either of them,” He informed even though he didn’t have any obligation to do so. “I suppose I am still fond enough of them given our shared youth but I have not been particularly involved with either of them for some time now,” Billy looked back up at him, Thaddeus muttering, “So I am not used to the notion of missing their company anymore in that sense given how I’ve gone without that company for long enough to not feel as though there’s an absence without them,” He crossed his arms, looking Billy over. “I would expect you’d miss your family considerably more given your recent circumstances with them and your uncle.” 

“Oh— okay…” Billy chewed on the inside of his cheek, intrigued but not wanting to push boundaries, hesitantly bringing up, “So you knew them when you were a kid?” 

Thaddeus paused— briefly. “Yes,” He confirmed. “I did.” 

“Did you meet Jon at summer camp or whatever, too?” Billy asked, head tilting. 

Another beat. “No. I was sent there after I met him.” 

“Why’d you stop hanging out with them?” Billy finally asked, a tension rising along with his question. 

“We pursued different things in adulthood,” Thaddeus answered simply even though Billy felt like it might not be that simple in actuality. “I became immersed with my research and Jon pursued a career in Gotham while Venus became busy with starting a family,” Thaddeus found he didn’t particularly mind answering the boy’s questions, oddly enough. “We merely drifted apart as most people tend to do when they leave the nest, so to say.” 

Billy’s brow furrowed. “I guess I get that,” He replied, looking down at the string on his glove he was toying with. “Mary doesn’t FaceTime with us as much as she used to, so it makes sense or whatever,” Billy continued worrying the red thread as he added, “But she still texts to check up on us and stuff,” He looked up at Thaddeus. “Did you guys ever stay in touch like that?” 

“We exchanged a few calls and emails initially, but that was the gist of it,” Thaddeus answered, noticing the way Billy’s frown deepened as the boy chewed on his lower lip, obviously antsy. “You seem to have a good relationship with your siblings,” He offhandedly commented. “I’m sure you’ll remain in touch even if it’s not quite as much as you’re used to.” Thaddeus wasn’t trying to be reassuring— he was just being… factual. 

Billy seemed relieved by that, nonetheless. “We should stay in touch,” He spoke up, earning a raised brow from the older man. “You know… when you get to Gotham and stuff or wherever you end up going to hide out at until things blow over,” Billy mumbled, trying to sound casual. “So we can still play chess together and stuff,” He added with a shrug. “If you wanna’.” 

Thaddeus was aware of the handful of ways in which he and the boy were similar. He felt as though there was potential for them to see eye to eye given the parallels of some of the experiences they’d faced. He assumed there was a possibility that Billy could eventually come to the same realization that he finally had. It had taken Thaddeus a while to accept that a single person’s goodness was useless against a world where one had to be ruthless in their own pursuits to not be left behind. There was a chance Billy could come to that same conclusion just like anyone else could. 

Billy was also aware of those similarities. Billy personally couldn’t help but wonder if he and Thaddeus might have been even more similar if the older man hadn’t spent decades conducting his less than virtuous research alone. Billy knew he personally might have been a lot more like Thaddeus if he hadn’t finally found a family that wanted him right when he needed one most. 

One thing that neither of them addressed, however, was the fact that Thaddeus was the one here being offered help for once while Billy was the one having to deal with the pressure of being ripped away from the one family he called  _ family. _ Thaddeus was allegedly becoming less sharp and hard around the edges even though he’d deny as much, but at the same time Billy was becoming more overwhelmed and uncertain of what laid ahead for himself even though he tried to shrug off such notions. 

Thaddeus was becoming increasingly aware that Billy was just a kid in a bad place that was dealing with a number of suffocating issues a fifteen-year-old frankly shouldn’t have to undergo. 

Thaddeus knew Billy could very well become like him. Thaddeus knew that would personally make things easier for him if the boy would just refrain from challenging him to ensure the older man didn’t cause any harm. Thaddeus knew that if Billy became as indifferent as he was then the boy wouldn’t care enough to get in his way. 

Thaddeus did not particularly want that. though. He should— he knows he absolutely should. He knows he should want things to be made easier by any means necessary, no matter the cost it may impose so long it was not a price he had to pay. He knows he should not care in the least about any harm such a mindset might bring to others so long as that harm would benefit him. He knows he should loath the Wizard’s Champion to the extent of wanting the brat to suffer without exception. He knows they are supposed to be enemies and he knows he should want his enemy to fall so that his rise to power could be ensured without interruption. Thaddeus knows he as the Champion of Sins should want all of this and be indifferent to how detrimental that could be to anyone other than himself. Including Billy. Particularly Billy. 

Yet Thaddeus does not. 

Thaddeus is not good. He is aware of that. To an extent, he used to be, although when it came down to it he’d never met the Wizard’s standards in regard to goodness, in any case. He wasn’t pure and if there had ever been a time in which he was completely so then it had been brief and before he could comprehend notions of right and wrong when he was no more than a blank slate to the new world around him. 

Billy was not pure, either. He was not perfect. He had his flaws. He could be bratty, disrespectful, testy, irresponsible, and excessive. He was more of a handful than Thaddeus had been when he was younger. He was not completely good in the least. 

Although Billy was good. That goodness wasn’t entirely without its faults and it was not always the first thing the boy prioritized showcasing, but it was there and it defined the boy just as much as his stubbornness did. Even after all Billy had been through- even after all Billy was going through… it still prevailed. It was something Thaddeus hadn’t encountered in decades, that perhaps being due to Thaddeus surrounding himself with the wrong people and not giving the time of day to anyone else unless they could help him push his research that was geared towards anything but goodness. 

Billy was good enough and that in itself made Thaddeus realize that the Wizard might have been somewhat right about one thing, at least. 

Thaddeus knew there were no truly pure people in the world— not like the ones the Wizard had sought. No one’s innocence lasted forever. Perhaps, however, there were genuinely good enough people who could stay good enough, though; maybe that wasn’t all for naught. 

Thaddeus had never forgiven his father or Sid nor the Wizard for snuffing out things that should never be so harshly taken away from a child. He did not particularly want to follow suit and lead Billy down the same path of dejection. He knew he should welcome the notion of his enemy being forced to go through the same less than ideal experiences that he had, and yet when it came down to it Thaddeus had no interest in forcing a cycle of bitterness onto a mere child no matter who that child was. He did not want to be like his own enemies that were more of foes than Billy to him by repeating what they had done. 

So Thaddeus did not make Billy feel more alone than the boy already was and he did not take advantage of Billy’s isolation from his family when the older man finally replied, “I would not be particularly opposed to keeping in touch,” Billy blinked, eyes flickering to look up at Thaddeus, more than a little taken aback considering the stare he was giving the older man was somewhat wider than usual, definitely not expecting Thaddeus to actually agree to that sentiment in a way that wasn’t sarcastic. “So long as that would mean having someone I could practice a few warmup matches with.” 

Billy’s eyebrows raised, a smirk tugging at his lips as he huffed, “Warmup matches?” 

“You haven’t beaten me yet.” Thaddeus casually confirmed. 

“You totally just jinxed yourself.” Billy confidently insisted, pointedly pushing the already setup chessboard between them. 

“A bold assumption to make given your past outcomes in this game.” Thaddeus mused, gesturing for Billy to make the first move. 

Billy cracked a grin, perking up some. “If you’re really good at this then you’d be good enough to teach me how to beat you.” He joked while moving one of his middle pawns forward. 

Thaddeus quirked a brow at the cheeky retort, nonetheless acknowledging after a brief pause of consideration, “Fair enough,” He moved his far-left pawn forward. “I reckon anyone who could manage a feat like that would be rather proficient.” Thaddeus glanced up at Billy, not quite smiling yet also not frowning in the least, his stare seeming less sharp than usual and almost amused-- almost. 

“Very funny.” Billy sarcastically snickered, moving the same pawn forward. “So what’s your favorite dessert to make? Maybe we could make it with the other stuff.” 

“Espresso cinnamon cannolis.” Thaddeus answered, moving an alternate pawn towards the right. 

“You dig fancy foods, huh?” Billy commented, pushing his pawn forward. “Have you ever had normal junk food or whatever? Like, funnel cake and stuff?” 

“Funnel cake?” Thaddeus muttered, moving a middle piece forward. 

“Yeah,” Billy confirmed, moving his utmost right piece forward. “You know, like the deep-fried sugar cakes they sell at carnivals and stuff.” Thaddeus raised a judgemental eyebrow, giving the boy a quizzical look, Billy realizing the older man apparently hadn’t tried as much. “Oh the next time the carnival’s in town you definitely  **have** to try one.” 

“You'll have to excuse me for not particularly wanting to consume a pastry with a name alone that can heighten someone’s cholesterol.” Thaddeus dryly replied, moving another left centered pawn forward. 

“Says the guy that likes caffeine-induced cannolis.” Billy retorted, the corners of his lips tugging upwards at the look that earned. “It would be fun, though,” He nonchalantly added, moving his far-left pawn forward. “To go to the carnival and stuff when we’re not basically trying to punt each other into space.” 

“I’m not particularly interested in carnivals.” Thaddeus replied while picking up a bishop. 

“Yeah, because you haven’t had a funnel cake at one yet.” Billy said back without missing a beat. 

Thaddeus’s hand paused above the board as he gave Billy a look, chess piece hovering. “Point taken.” 

Billy cracked a grin, evidently much too pleased with himself as the older man set down his knight. “Just doing this is pretty fun though, honestly.” Billy commented while moving a bishop forward, because even if Thaddeus was a killjoy about carnivals he at least seemed to like this. 

Thaddeus moved another pawn towards the middle forward, considering correcting Billy for claiming a game of intellect was  _ fun. _ “I suppose it is an acceptable way to pass the time.” He acknowledged instead, because perhaps it was allegedly what one might refer to as some sense of fun. 

Perhaps Thaddeus did not have to correct any notion of potential enjoyment, because perhaps it was acceptable to feel as though it was possible to know something other than a sense of disconnect. 

Perhaps there was no harm in not feeling a constant need to practice guarded indifference. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bonus points to anyone who can figure out what canonical DC character Raymond is supposed to be.


	14. To Burn or Build Bridges

“I told you Eugene didn’t know about Thaddeus.” An exasperated Billy sighed. 

“Yeah, but you said all of us should come and talk about this. _ ” _ Pedro reminded with a frown. 

“I felt like it should have been obvious that I meant all of us who knew about it.” Billy said in a strained voice. 

“How is that obvious?” Pedro defensively mumbled. 

“Wait,” Eugene spoke up. “Darla and Freddy knew about this?” 

Darla looked up at Freddy, the boy confirming in a disapproving grumble, “Yeah, unfortunately.”, as the younger girl hesitantly nodded in agreement. 

“Why are me and Pedro always the last to learn about this kind of stuff?” Eugene huffed, Pedro shrugging. 

“Mary doesn’t know about Mr. Sivana.” Darla spoke up. 

“And that’s going to stay that way for now.” Billy pointedly stated. 

“Why?” Freddy knowingly scoffed. “You worried she’d fly in from California just so she could murder him?” 

“I mean, I’m pretty sure she’d be even more pissed about this than you, Freddy.” Eugene musingly commented, Pedro nodding at that. 

“I’m not doing this.” The cross-armed Thaddeus muttered, turning to leave. 

“No,” Billy objected, stubbornly stepping in front of Thaddeus and earning narrowed eyes from the older man. “We’re talking about this— all of us,” Darla’s grasp worriedly tightened around Freddy’s hand, earning a squeeze as Freddy warily straightened up. “Including you.” Billy firmly insisted, Thaddeus’s jaw clenching. “I don’t feel like wanting you to do this is a lot to ask for considering I’ve seriously taken some pretty significant risks with helping you out here instead of just turning you in.” The siblings exchanged uncertain glances as Thaddeus’s teeth gritted, a stretch of silence going by. 

Each of the foster siblings prepared themselves for speaking the Wizard’s name as a thick tension arose, none of them quite knowing what to expect yet more than ready to step in if prompted. 

Eventually, Thaddeus sharply exhaled, “Fine.”, and stepped back, begrudgingly facing the others, impatiently tapping his fingers against his crossed arms. 

Darla visibly relaxed along with the rest of her siblings— except for Billy… who hadn’t really seemed particularly afraid of Thaddeus for a reason none of them could fathom. 

“Well I personally still feel like you should just turn him in.” Freddy said under his breath, although it was audible enough for Billy along with everyone else to catch. 

“Well I personally feel like you should just mind your business.” Billy haughtily retorted. 

Freddy practically bristled at that, although Darla was the first to object, “Aren’t we supposed to be talking this out? Arguing really isn’t talking it out…” 

“Yeah, Billy,” The miffed Freddy agreed in annoyance. “Don’t get defensive.” 

“I’m not the one getting defensive.” Billy defensively defended, Thaddeus rolling his eyes as Darla frowned. 

“I came to hear Billy out,” Eugene stated, saving a game on his phone. “Not listen to you two bicker.” He turned off the electronic device, shoving it into his pocket as Pedro nodded in agreement. 

“Oh, so you’ll hear him out but not me?” Freddy scoffed in disbelief. 

“I didn’t say that,” Eugene denied. “I just said that I want to hear what Billy has to say about this before I make any opinions,” Eugene gave a shrug while adding, “I’m pretty sure we’re all on your side right now anyways, Freddy.” 

Darla’s brow furrowed as she hesitantly said, “But we shouldn’t just turn in Mr. Sivana to a place that’s bad, right?” That’s what this was all about, wasn’t it? 

“Oh great,” Freddy snappily grumbled. “Now you’ve got Darla believing that B.S., too.” 

“It’s not B.S.,” Billy snapped back. “If the prison’s being shady then Thad doesn’t need to be in there.” 

“Why not?” Freddy challenged unconvinced. “He’s shady. He should fit right in,” Freddy’s arms crossed. “Besides, super-villains totally know what they’re signing up for if they get caught.” 

“Do I seriously need to remind you that we overpowered ATMs to get money?” Billy aggravatedly countered. “We’re not exactly innocent here, Freddy.” 

“You what?” Pedro mumbled, brow raising. 

“Literally how do you equate something like that to murder?” Freddy replied without missing a beat. “I mean, it’s not like we went around hunting down innocent people and targeting their families to get to them.” 

“Were you not aware they were stealing cash, Pedro?” Thaddeus spoke up, trying to shift the conversation off of him, not wanting to risk them actually convincing Billy to reconsider his decision to not report him to authorities. 

“Oh put a sock in it,” Freddy snapped. “That was, like, a year ago and-” 

“Don’t be a jerk, Freddy,” Billy annoyedly interjected. “You can at least try to act civil about-” 

“Maybe I would be acting a little more civil if you weren’t defending a guy that was being super uncivil a year ago when he was trying to kill us.” Freddy replied in a raised voice. 

“He wasn’t trying to kill us,” Billy defended. “He just wanted the Wizard’s power— he would’ve let us go after he’d gotten it if he’d won.” 

“And that makes it okay?” Freddy countered. 

“I didn’t say that,” Billy objected. “I’m just saying that-” 

“Okay, no, you know what? That’s bull,” Freddy interrupted unconvinced. “Do you seriously believe he wouldn’t have killed us just because he apparently told you that? Did it not cross your mind that a supervillain like him might be, oh I don’t know,  **lying** about something like that to gain your trust or whatever? Which you’re obviously giving  **way** too easily when you should honestly be questioning this a lot more than you apparently are right now.” 

“I made it more than clear that you would each be let go if I merely received the transfer of power.” Thaddeus spoke up. 

“I was not talking to you,” Freddy snapped. “And even if I was, I still wouldn’t believe you,” He sent Thaddeus a glare while reminding, “You threatened to kill Darla without batting an eye like a complete douchebag.” 

Thaddeus’s eyes narrowed. “I redacted that statement.” Which the Sins really hadn’t been particularly fond of him doing. 

“That doesn’t change the fact that you said it in the first place,” Freddy replied without missing a beat. “And if Billy hadn’t acted like he was going to hand over his powers then you would have let that  _ thing _ eat Darla.” 

“I had no intention of doing as much,” Thaddeus sharply informed while Darla shifted around uncomfortably. “I was merely trying to intimidate Billy into transferring his power.” 

“So scaring the ever-living daylights out of a little kid like that was fine just because you weren’t actually going to go through with it?” Freddy challenged more than a little protectively. “Did you honestly not consider how making her believe she was about to be killed would have some pretty serious after-effects?” Freddy continued to haughtily question. “She literally couldn’t even get through a whole night of sleeping without being woken up by a nightmare thanks to the crap you pulled until a few months after the-” 

“That’s personal.” Darla embarrassedly spoke up, brow furrowing as her gaze averted towards the ground, letting go of Freddy’s hand and anxiously playing with her jacket’s zipper. 

Thaddeus frowned, glancing at the girl before looking at Billy, noticing the way the boy’s lips curved downwards as the fifteen-year-old worriedly eyed over Darla. 

“I’m not defending Thad here and acting like what he did was okay,” Billy mumbled after a brief and uncomfortable stretch of silence. “I’m just saying that there’s a way to deal with what he did and the way things were being handled at that prison was not it.” 

“That’s not for you to decide,” Freddy frustratedly argued. “You’re not the law.” 

“I’m supposed to care if the law’s being broken, aren’t I?” Billy retorted. “If the prison’s not doing what they’re supposed to be doing and screwing over the people they’re supposed to be responsible for in the process then that’s a problem.” 

“You don’t even know if the law’s actually being broken there!” Freddy exclaimed. “For all you know he could be lying! Heck, he probably is because he knows you’re too gullible to-” 

“For all any of us know he’s not!” Billy argued, Pedro and Eugene glancing at each other as the two boys came close to almost nearing a shouting match, Darla shifting around uncomfortably as Thaddeus glanced around to ensure they were far enough away from underpass civilians to not be overheard. “If I can keep an eye on him to make sure he doesn’t cause any trouble then that’s fine because it’s just an alternate way of keeping him in check. It’s not like I’m just letting him run around doing whatever he wants to do without any consequences.” 

“It’s not fine!” Freddy argued. “He’s not your responsibility and you already have enough stuff on your plate to deal with right now! You don’t need him being added to the mix when your uncle’s already enough of a handful! You can’t just welcome the guy that wanted to get rid of you with open arms and expect him to play nice! If you’re not careful you’re going to get hurt because of him and-” 

“I have no intentions whatsoever of bringing any harm to Billy as things are.” Thaddeus firmly stated. 

“Can you shut your mouth for one minute while I’m trying to talk to Billy?” Freddy aggravatedly asked. 

“He’s barely said anything,” Billy snapped, Freddy’s lips pursing at how his foster sibling apparently felt the need to defend the guy that Freddy had feared would take Billy away from them. “You don’t need to act like a-” 

“Just because  **you don’t** give a crap about what happens to you now because of your crummy uncle doesn’t mean that you can just go risking your life on a whim like this when  **we do!”** Freddy said before he really considered the words that flew out of his mouth, desperation and frustration making him a bit too honest for comfort. 

Billy’s expression fell and Freddy realized he’d accidentally gone and crossed a line a little too far again, aware there was a time and place to say something like that and this wasn’t it. 

“Hey,” Pedro softly spoke up, Darla and Eugene unsurely looking at each other, neither really sure as to what exactly Freddy was talking about. “Let’s just-” 

“Screw you, Freeman.” Billy scoffed, not about to deal with having to unpack that whole comment as he instead chose to storm off and not give Freddy the time of day. 

“Billy…” Freddy sighed, the older boy continuing to walk away while flipping him off as Darla and Eugene exchanged concerned glances. 

Thaddeus eyed over the foster siblings, trying to get an idea as to what exactly that had been about. 

“You did not need to bring  **that** up.” Pedro quietly commented, giving Freddy a disappointed look. 

“Bring what up?” Darla asked, a puzzled Eugene looking back and forth between Freddy and Pedro. 

“Nothing.” Freddy grumbled, hesitantly looking at Pedro and defensively huffing, “What?”, at the stare the older boy was giving him. 

“That really was uncalled for.” Pedro reiterated. 

“Yeah all right, fine— it was,” The on edge Freddy annoyedly acknowledged. “But him defending the literal Champion of Sins seems pretty uncalled for, too!” That earned another look from Pedro, the older boy’s arms crossing. “It’s not like I was trying to sound like a jerk, okay? I was just trying to make a point and-” 

“Go play with Sunny, guys.” Pedro gently directed, looking at Darla and Eugene while gesturing towards the boy’s tent, Freddy’s lips pursing as his arms crossed, gaze averting. 

Eugene and Darla looked at one another before looking back up at Pedro, earning another nod toward the tent and pausing before Darla unsurely mumbled, “Okay…”, the pair hesitantly doing as told and walking off. 

Freddy reluctantly glanced up at Pedro, the older boy walking off to the side and causing Freddy to roll his eyes and release a heavy exhale, begrudgingly following. 

Thaddeus didn’t particularly see a reason to linger when the two boys were much too preoccupied with discussing something inaudible to him, not exactly having any desire to wait around for them when he frankly had better things to do. He left them to their own accord, neither seeming to notice as he walked off to go check on Billy. Thaddeus wasn’t entirely sure as to what had prompted a reaction like that, but it was enough to make the boy tidy up his area of the underpass rather harshly, the older man arching a brow at how Billy nearly tore off his sleeping bag’s zipper while he made his bed. 

“Are you all right?” Thaddeus inquired, head tilting as he tried to get an idea as to why Billy had gotten so upset back there. 

“What do you care?” Billy snapped, Thaddeus’s brow raising further, the boy’s glare shifting into more of an upset frown than anything as his gaze averted. “I’m fine.” 

Thaddeus eyed over Billy before knowingly commenting, “No— you’re not.” 

Billy’s lips pursed, haughtily replying, “Well if you already knew the answer to that then why’d you ask?” 

Thaddeus’s chin inclined. “Do you want to discuss this or would you rather be left alone for now?” 

Billy’s brow furrowed, not meeting Thaddeus’s stare. “I don’t know.” 

“Would you prefer I leave you be right now or stay, then?” Thaddeus offered instead, Billy hesitating to answer. “I could stay nearby if that would be preferable.” He didn’t particularly care about whether or not Billy felt a need to talk, he just… well it wasn’t as though he had anything to do anyway, so why not? Listening to the boy was a way to pass the time in a place that didn’t have many ways to do so— that was all. It wasn’t as though Thaddeus felt a desire to do as much merely because the boy needed someone to talk to; he certainly wasn’t willingly taking the responsibility of lending an ear to a teenager that needed someone he could feel comfortable enough with. He didn’t actually care if Billy needed to talk. He didn’t. Really, he didn’t. He just cared about passing the time. That was all. He wasn’t concerned. He absolutely wasn’t. 

“I don’t want to be left alone right now,” Billy mumbled while rubbing his upper arm, swallowing thickly. “But I don’t want to talk about what Freddy said either.” 

That particular topic had evidently been a rather sensitive one. 

“All right,” Thaddeus acknowledged, remaining where he stood. “Do you want to talk at all or would you rather not converse for now?” Billy just shrugged. “If you want to talk then you are more than welcome to.” Thaddeus offered, deciding to leave it at that unless Billy said anything further. 

“Okay,” Billy said, chewing on the inside of his cheek before softly mumbling, “Thanks.” He played with a string on his glove. “Sorry for being snappy or whatever.” 

“It’s all right.” Thaddeus acknowledged, Billy noticing he didn’t really sound all that annoyed, oddly enough. The older man didn’t quite know how to react to this, though— Billy had always been comfortable enough to vent before… even if he’d done so by mostly blurting out confessions before considering them. Why wasn’t Billy willing to discuss this? How bad could it be compared to what he’d brought up about his uncle and other foster families? 

“I’m just really pissed off about Freddy bringing up  **that,”** Billy said, Thaddeus patiently allowing him to speak, admittedly relieved the boy felt comfortable enough to elaborate at least somewhat. “I know it’s not really an excuse to act like a jerk I just- I wasn’t expecting him to do that,” Thaddeus’s head tilted, brow arching inquisitively, Billy hesitantly meeting his stare only to avert his gaze again, pausing before continuing, “And I know I’ve been acting kind of reckless since my uncle got custody but I don’t really see a need to talk about that since it doesn’t have anything to do with this anyway; I’m not being reckless when it comes to, like, not reporting you to the authorities.” A beat. “Okay fine— I know I’m maybe being a little reckless, but that’s not the point since this has basically worked out well enough and it’s not like I’m doing risky stuff that’s, like, needlessly dangerous in this case or whatever.” 

That was concerning— why was Billy so willing to talk about something as personal as his uncle gaining custody but not as willing to discuss whatever had come after that? He’d talked about the stove burn and even fracturing his arm previously. This seemed to be about something else Thaddeus was hesitant to place. 

Thaddeus studied Billy quizzically. “Is that meant to suggest you have done needlessly dangerous things in other cases outside of this arrangement?” 

“It’s not meant to suggest anything,” Billy immediately denied. “And I don’t really wanna’ go into detail about what Freddy was talking about anyway, so let’s just drop it, okay?” 

There were a number of things this could be about and Thaddeus didn’t want to jump to conclusions when it came to teenagers doing reckless things, although he was aware recklessness could be considerably dangerous so Thaddeus didn’t merely want to brush this off, either. 

“If that’s what you’d like to do.” Thaddeus acknowledged, deciding to not pry despite admittedly finding Billy’s statements somewhat disconcerting, aware that would likely just make Billy close up more. Perhaps he just needed a bit of time to open up about whatever this was on his own. 

“It is.” Billy confirmed, not meeting Thaddeus’s stare. 

Thaddeus paused, seeming to consider something before offering, “If you decide you’d prefer talking about it later then that would also be acceptable,” Billy’s brow furrowed, prompting Thaddeus to add, “Although it’s not as though you’re required to do as much if you’d rather not.” 

A beat went by, Billy eventually looking up at Thaddeus and saying in a somewhat hesitant mumble, “Okay.” 

Thaddeus’s arms crossed, head tilting as he asked, “Are you ready to go back?” It could be best to leave it at that for the time being. 

“No,” Billy scoffed, Thaddeus noting what Freddy had brought up had been something that apparently made Billy considerably testy. “I don’t wanna’ talk to Freeman when he’s pulling stuff like this.” 

Thaddeus frankly couldn’t help but to be aware of how easy it would be to make Freddy look like the bad guy here in order to boost his own personal favor with Billy— Thaddeus knew it could help with further ensuring the boy refrained from reporting him to the authorities… he knew pitting the two boys against each other would allow him to idly do as he pleased while the two stubbornly bickered. If he wanted to, he could likely fuel Billy’s frustrations and make him refuse to back down just like Freddy was refusing to back down. A divide between the Shazam family could definitely prove to be beneficial. With how badly Freddy had angered Billy, it wouldn’t be all that difficult to nudge Billy in a direction that would make him clash even more so with the foster sibling that was already making this rather easy for Thaddeus, really. 

Thaddeus was also aware that the attention of the Sins seemed to shift away from Billy and towards his foster siblings when it came to this particular notion of dividing and conquering. Thaddeus knew this was not something he and he alone had considered. Thaddeus knew the only time the Sins didn’t seem to mind Billy was when they and he alike considered the potential of him being an ally that would let them do as they pleased without getting in the way. It was a new potential— a new idea that had barely been considered… but it was enough to make the Seven ease up and not growl demands to be found at the mere sight of the Wizard’s Champion. 

_ Find us. _

Speaking of which… 

Thaddeus tried to ignore that for now, although the older man couldn’t help but be particularly aware of how the Sins had been rather welcoming towards one of the Wizard’s Champions that had fallen from any notion of goodness centuries ago. 

Despite all of that, Thaddeus was also aware that carrying out a plan like that could be rather detrimental to Billy regardless of how beneficial it might be for himself. If Billy was being reckless because he’d been withdrawn from his family thanks to his uncle, then the boy did not need to become even more isolated from that family, because that would only lead to more recklessness. That was not something Thaddeus particularly wanted regardless of how much it might benefit him because he had no desire to watch Billy meet a kind of  **distress** that Thaddeus had been all too familiar with when he’d been his age— a  _ distress _ that distorted and broke and hardened into something that a boy like Billy was not meant to become; a distress that took any notion of goodness and contorted it into something entirely new and entirely absent of virtue. 

Thaddeus was aware there was a chance- perhaps a good chance… that Freddy could very well convince Billy that helping out the Champion of Sins was something that was just too risky to continue doing. He knew encouraging Billy to hear Freeman out could very well work against him and result in the authorities being called on him after all. 

Yet for one reason or another, Thaddeus still said, “You have all of your foster siblings that are aware of me here at the same time— you might not get another chance to discuss this all together for a while.” 

It was apparent Billy was suffering from being withdrawn from his family. If he was pitted against them, that suffering could very well heighten to levels Thaddeus wanted no part in encouraging. Thaddeus did not want Billy Batson to suffer in the least— he just wanted his power returned to him… that was all. 

“Well maybe Freddy should leave so I can talk about it with just Pedro and Darla and Eugene without having to worry about him trying to shout over me like a jerk.” Billy grumbled back. 

Billy was evidently convinced Freddy was in the wrong for being cautious about Thaddeus. Despite Thaddeus personally not really being able to blame Freddy with all things considered, Thaddeus didn’t particularly want to change Billy’s mind given how that posed a risk of the boy agreeing with Freddy a little too strongly in regard to wanting to notify the authorities. 

Although the longer Billy refused to address this the more his familial relations would spiral out of control. The tension between him and Freddy had heightened considerably with each visit and it seemed as though the two were almost close to tearing out each other’s throats with how hostile their conversations had gotten. 

Given that, Thaddeus was somewhat begrudging about saying, “I threatened him to get to you twice,” Billy blinked, looking up at Thaddeus with a frown. “After frankly being relentless in pursuing you for your powers even after you revealed you were merely a child,” Billy’s brow furrowed as Thaddeus continued, “And I also held them hostage twice with the help of the Sins that were more than willing to do them harm either by command or by their own accord as they saw fit,” Billy’s frown deepened at that, Thaddeus adding, “Not to mention I kept you submerged in water when you were defenseless.” The boy just silently eyed over the older man, not sure as to why Thaddeus was telling him something he was already more than aware of. “I demanded your powers without explanation,” Thaddeus also bluntly pointed out. “Given that, I cannot particularly blame your foster sibling for being wary of me,” Billy definitely hadn’t expected that, if the look on his face was anything to go by. “And while your adamant defense on my behalf is appreciated, I wouldn’t say it needs to be given to an extent that disregards Freddy’s concerns completely,” A pause. “All things considered, it is admittedly fair for him to feel as though you should practice some amount of caution.” 

“So what?” Billy mumbled, arms crossing. “I  **should** turn you in, then?” 

“That’s not what I said,” Thaddeus immediately denied, hoping Billy wasn’t about to make him regret pointing out what he had. “I’m merely suggesting that you should find some common ground with him by meeting him halfway rather than acting as though his concerns are unwarranted,” A beat. “Although it would be preferable if those common grounds did not involve me being imprisoned again.” 

Billy let out a short laugh, apparently finding that amusing, the boy seeming to visibly ease up some before clearing his throat, smile faltering as he seemed to contemplate something. “So what should it involve, then?” 

That was something Thaddeus didn’t have the answer to, the older man considering something he’d been brooding over since Freddy had first voiced his concerns the moment he’d spotted the villain, eventually offering with some manner of hesitance, “Perhaps it would be best if we parted ways.” 

“What?” Billy asked, expression falling. “No,” He objected quickly enough to make Thaddeus quirk a brow, Billy adding even quicker, “I mean, I’m supposed to, you know, keep an eye on you to make sure you don’t try anything since I’m letting you walk free.” 

Thaddeus’s head tilted. “I’d hardly say a child needs to deem himself responsible for the likes of me, Billy.” 

“Well I don’t really have a choice since it would be my fault if you pulled something dangerous since I’m the one that let you go,” Billy retorted, a subtle frown meeting Thaddeus’s face. “And-” Billy averted his gaze downwards while rubbing his upper arm, hesitantly mumbling, “And it would suck if we just went our own ways right when we’ve started to kinda’ get along or whatever.” 

For a moment, Thaddeus just stared at him before eventually commenting,  _ “Get along?” _

“Yeah,” Billy confirmed, hesitantly looking back up at the older man. “I mean, hanging out with you hasn’t actually been that bad. Like, playing chess together and going to the thrift store and places like that with each other and stuff has honestly been sort of cool,” Billy chewed on the inside of his cheek, pausing before adding, “And you don’t seem to totally hate me anymore,” He played with a sting on his glove. “So I guess that’s cool or whatever, too.” 

Thaddeus had… absolutely no idea as to how to best respond to that. It almost sounded like Billy was getting sentimental. The notion of his enemy becoming a bit too chummy really should have annoyed Thaddeus per usual, although he admittedly found it more perplexing than anything. Did the boy have a tendency to latch onto anyone who did as little as tolerate him? Thaddeus considered mocking as much as a force of habit, although despite that being his initial instinct he didn’t feel an actual desire to do so, oddly enough. Perhaps that was merely due to him becoming aware of Billy apparently not being in the best state at the moment given Freddy’s comment about his recent recklessness. Whatever that meant. Not that Thaddeus cared. 

Yet Thaddeus cared enough to ease up some around the boy. How contradictory of him. Thaddeus was not exactly used to contradicting himself given how he considered himself a logical man for the most part. He was also not used to getting involved with problems that were not his own. Nor was he used to refraining from acting indifferently for the sake of anyone— much less an enemy. 

Thaddeus was particularly not used to the notion of someone admitting they’d rather him remain than leave… his company was not typically considered good company. 

Thaddeus dismissively concluded that Billy was likely just reaching out to anyone willing to allow him to do as much thanks to being withdrawn from a family he was having trouble keeping in touch with. The sooner Billy made amends with his family by settling this the sooner he’d start bothering them instead of Thaddeus. 

Not that Thaddeus particularly minded being bothered by him all that much anymore. 

_ Wait, what?  _

Thaddeus had just gotten used to Billy’s pestering— that was all… he’d adapted to living at the underpass and he’d adapted to listening to Billy’s daily rambles. Annoyances could be adequately ignored and tolerated once dealt with enough. 

Thaddeus was brooding too much and over contemplating something that he didn’t need to waste his time on. Freddy’s concerns had to be addressed before the boy decided to just report his location to the authorities without Billy’s approval. 

“What would you propose, then?” Thaddeus finally inquired, allowing Billy a chance to present his own idea rather than insisting it would be best to part ways— rather than insisting upon something that would allow him to do as he pleased on his own accord unbothered… rather than insisting on something that would leave Billy substantially more alone than he already was. 

Thaddeus did not care that him going elsewhere would leave Billy more vulnerable. He didn’t care about the boy being reckless one way or another. He didn’t care how his decision would influence Billy. Didn’t care if it might leave the younger feeling abandoned and more reckless because he was not supposed to look out for the boy. He was not his guardian. He was not responsible for him. He held no obligation whatsoever when it came to Billy. They were enemies and due to as much, Thaddeus did not care about any of that. He didn’t. 

Or he at least wasn’t supposed to, in any case. 

Billy shrugged. “I dunno’, I just…” 

“Just?” Thaddeus patiently inquired as the boy trailed off. 

Billy awkwardly rubbed the side of his neck, gaze briefly averting before hesitantly turning back towards Thaddeus as he admitted in a mumble, “I don’t want you to have to go-- that’s all.” 

… 

Thaddeus quietly released a weary exhale— Billy was certainly not making this particularly easy for him… he was still not entirely sure as to how to properly respond to something like that. 

“All right,” Thaddeus muttered. “You’re the one who made the decision to not turn me in,” He acknowledged. “So if we can come up with something acceptable that your foster siblings would allow, then I will stay for the time being if you’d like.” 

Billy eyed over Thaddeus, brow furrowing in a way the older man couldn’t quite place. “Okay,” Billy softly replied, swallowing thickly. “Thanks.” 

Thaddeus gave a nod before asking, “Would you like to discuss this further as is or would you prefer allowing your family to join the conversation now?” 

Billy chewed on his lower lip, hesitantly answering, “I guess it would be okay to go back now since we’ve had some time to cool off or whatever.” 

“Would you like me to be a part of that discussion?” Thaddeus asked even though he knew this could be a dangerous thing to offer Billy a choice on given how it would allow him less of a chance at defending himself and more of a chance of Billy’s foster siblings swaying his opinion on this matter. “Or do you feel as though there would be less conflict without me present?” There was also a danger of him making things worse. 

“You should be a part of it,” Billy replied as he stood, barely having to consider it. “Since it’s about you and all.” He began to walk off, Thaddeus following, silence briefly lingering between them. “Can I ask you something?” 

Against his better judgment, Thaddeus permitted, “Go on.” 

“Why not just let me, ya’ know… be, like, mad at Freddy or whatever?” Billy looked up at the older man as they walked, Thaddeus keeping his sights directed forward. “I mean, wouldn’t that make it easier for you to, uh, not have to worry about my mind being changed by him and stuff if I just didn’t listen to him?” Thaddeus glanced at Billy, brow raising. “Not that I’ll change my mind about not reporting you to the authorities,” Billy reassuringly added. “I just wasn’t really expecting you to basically want me to talk this out with him— that’s all.” 

“I want us to all come to some sort of agreement to ensure no one tries taking matters into their own hands,” Thaddeus dismissively stated, returning his gaze forward. “And while I am not particularly fond of Freddy I do not feel as though my lack of fondness towards him should influence your relationship,” He paused before bluntly advising, “A good relationship with your sibling really shouldn’t be swayed by your concern for an enemy.” 

“Enemy seems like a harsh word,” Billy shrugged off. “I mean, I’m pretty sure enemies aren’t supposed to look out for each other, ya’ know?” 

“I’m not-” Thaddeus started to correct while glancing at Billy, frowning at how the boy crossed his arms and looked downwards, Thaddeus releasing a short sigh. “You need to practice caution when it comes to people who have-” 

“I do practice caution,” Billy defensively interjected. “With pretty much everyone,” He said a bit more quietly. “And I know you were or are a villain or whatever but you’ve still looked out for me more than a lot of people have bothered to,” Once again, Thaddeus did not know how to respond to something like that. “Which has made things suck a little less since it helps me feel a little less…” 

Thaddeus eyed over Billy. “Less?” 

“Alone or whatever,” Billy admitted, hesitantly and unsurely and more than anxiously. “When my uncle got custody of me I felt really alone for a while even though Freddy and the others would try to visit when they could, but now it’s-” Billy swallowed thickly, being vulnerable and honest and all the things he really probably shouldn’t be with his arch-nemesis. “It’s not as bad now that we’re finally getting along some and stuff because having someone around that doesn’t…  **hate** me like-” Like his uncle seemed to. “I just- I guess it’s just nice to have someone to play chess with or whatever,” Billy chewed on the inside of his cheek. “And I know you probably do hate me,” He acknowledged before Thaddeus could correct him. “But it's honestly not as bad as-” 

“I don’t.” Thaddeus spoke up as the pair began to approach Freddy and Pedro. 

“What?” Billy asked. 

“I don’t,” Thaddeus repeated, earning an uncertain stare. “Hate you,” He elaborated. “I don’t hate you,” He glanced down at Billy, the boy evidently at a loss for words given the expression he was making. “You can be a bit of a brat,” Thaddeus mused, earning a look. “Although there are people worth hating that are deserving of as much and you’re frankly not one of them,” A pause. “Even if you are rather cheeky for the most part.” 

“You trying to convince Billy I’m the bad guy again?” Freddy accused in a raised voice as the pair neared him and Pedro, referring to the first time he and Billy had argued about this when Thaddeus had basically put words in his mouth like a total villain. 

Speaking of cheekiness… 

“Thad literally just convinced me to come back and talk about this so don’t make me regret it.” Billy haughtily informed, the two foster brothers clearly already becoming miffed with one another again. 

“Oh, so he’s trying reverse-psychology now, huh?” Freddy said back without missing a beat, Pedro elbowing him and causing Freddy to huff, “What?” 

“You sure you wanna’ talk psychology when you almost failed that elective?” Billy scoffed, him and Thaddeus coming to a stop in front of the other two boys. 

“I only got a C minus because I was ditching with you,” Freddy reminded while crossing his arms. “I guess I apparently threw away my GPA for a chance to get to know a dude that’s just going to get himself murdered since he obviously doesn’t care about getting himself into something dangerous that’s totally preventable.” 

Billy’s eyes rolled. “I mean, you wanted to ditch just as much as I did and I wasn’t exactly forcing you to come along, so-” 

“So right now we need to talk about something that will get us somewhere,” Pedro spoke up. “Arguing about stuff like that won’t help anything and it’s not what we came here to talk about.” 

“Agreed,” Thaddeus concurred, Pedro not sure as to how he felt about the Champion of Sins agreeing with him. “Billy doesn’t want to turn me into authorities and I obviously second that notion,” Thaddeus stated. “You don’t want-” 

“-him anywhere around  **you.”** Freddy coldly finished for the older man. 

Thaddeus’s jaw flexed at the interruption. “And Billy does not intend to merely allow me to go off on my own given how he feels as though an eye needs to be kept on me,” Thaddeus straightened up while acknowledging, “Which, as exasperating as that may be for me, is also fair enough all things considered,” Thaddeus’s chin inclined. “So we need to find common ground according to these stances,” Thaddeus pointedly said. “Arguing about things outside of this is not of any use to any of us,” His arms crossed. “If it would put your minds at ease then it would be worthwhile to consider how this is a low-risk arrangement since Billy and I are in a public space where I would not have a chance to cause him any manner of harm without being caught even if I wanted to do as much.” 

“That doesn’t mean there’s always plenty of people around,” Freddy skeptically replied unconvinced. “I’ve hung out with Billy around here enough to know that it’s common for the people here to be away at their jobs, minding their own business in their tents, raising money on the streets, or visiting friends somewhere else,” He knowingly pointed out. “There have been times this place has been flooded with people but there have also been times barely anyone’s here, so it’s not like there’s someone’s always around to notice whether or not you’re acting shady; if you pulled something that could hurt Billy it might not even be noticed right away since the people here don’t know who you are so they don’t know they should be keeping an eye on you thanks to Billy vouching for you.” 

Well… now that Freddy was actually discussing this rather than just spitting out whatever petty argument came to mind first, he was actually making a few good points that were somewhat disconcerting to Thaddeus, the older man glancing at Billy to determine whether that might have been a bit too convincing for the boy. 

“Thaddeus has had plenty of opportunities like that to pull something,” Billy nonetheless informed with a shrug, stubborn as ever. “And he hasn’t.” 

“There could be a reason for that,” Freddy replied just as stubbornly. “If he’s planning something and waiting for the opportune moment to strike-” 

“He’s not.” Billy interjected. 

“If we’re going to have a conversation about this then let me talk.” Freddy snapped, Billy pursing his lips yet refraining from saying anything further, gesturing for Freddy to continue. “For all you know he could just be letting you live because he still wants your powers and doesn’t want them to die with you,” Billy’s lips thinned, Freddy nonetheless adding, “Or he could just be trying to get you to trust him so you’ll get too comfortable and accidentally do something that will let him get access to the demon ball again.” 

“It’s not like he acts all buddy-buddy with me,” Billy dismissively replied. “And I don’t completely let my guard down around him, so I doubt-” 

“You really shouldn’t be letting your guard down at all.” Freddy insisted. 

“I let you speak.” Billy reminded in annoyance, Freddy sighting and reluctantly waiting for Billy to finish saying whatever he wanted to say. “I just- I don’t see how he could trick me into giving him my powers or the Eye or whatever. It seems like I’d have to do something like that on purpose.” 

“You don’t know that, though,” Freddy said back without missing a beat. “None of us do. Heck, we’re still having to figure out stuff on our own since none of us really have a guide here, but he had the Sins and they might have revealed something to him that we don’t know about.” 

“They really haven’t been of much help lately.” Thaddeus informed frankly. 

Billy let out a snicker at that, throat clearing upon earning an unamused look from Freddy as the younger boy said, “You know he could be lying about that, right?” 

Billy sighed. “Fine, yes— he could. He could also not be. I don’t really see how speculation is going to get us anywhere, though.” 

Freddy’s eyes narrowed. “Basically everything we’re talking about is speculation. You speculate that Thaddeus might actually be kind of not awful. I personally speculate he’s a conniving son of a-” 

“Watch it.” Thaddeus spoke up unamused. 

“Did you pull that  _ speculation _ thing out of a Wikipedia article,  **Philosophy-one-oh-one?”** Billy commented with an eye roll. 

“Okay,” Freddy said, more than a little miffed by that sarcastic nickname. “You know what-” 

“What if someone else could keep an eye on Sivana?” The brooding Pedro finally spoke up, all eyes turning towards him. “You know, instead of Billy or the prison.” 

Billy frowned, arms crossing. “Like who?” 

Pedro shrugged. “I dunno’. I was hoping you guys might have some ideas or something.” 

Billy considered it, or at least he acted like he did— briefly. “Nope,” He nonchalantly said with a shrug in less than five seconds. “No one’s coming to mind right now.” That was just too bad; it looked like Thaddeus would simply have to stick around given how it seemed as though it couldn’t be helped. Oh well. 

“We could just give him to the Breyers.” Freddy grumbled under his breath. 

“Who?” Thaddeus asked, eyes narrowing quizzically. 

“We are not doing that.” Billy denied unamused. 

“Well I say we go with Pedro’s idea and find someone else to keep an eye on him,” Freddy advocated. “I’d be willing to not just turn him in  **if** we did that instead.” 

“Oh yeah, awesome idea Freddy, let’s just put an internet ad up on Craigslist asking who wants to keep an eye on the Champion of Sins in exchange for whatever money a bunch of kids can come up with; that would make for a great listing.” Billy sarcastically quipped. 

Freddy pursed his lips. “Can you not be a sarcastic jerk for one second and just-” 

“Oh,  **I’m** the sarcastic jerk?” Billy scoffed in disbelief. 

“Guys,” Pedro wearily sighed. “Come on, don’t-” 

“Yeah, Billy,” Freddy said, voice rising. “You are! You’re so full of-” 

“Jon,” Thaddeus spoke up. “If I could get into contact with Jon then I could potentially stay with him instead.” 

The corners of Billy’s lips tugged downwards as Freddy asked, “Jon? What, like your alias? That’s a real person?” 

“Yes,” Thaddeus confirmed. “He’s an acquaintance in Gotham. I could potentially go stay with him there.” 

“Great,” Freddy readily accepted with an agreeable shrug, Billy’s brow furrowing as his arms crossed. “That works. How soon can you get into contact with him?” 

“It’s been a few decades since they last talked,” Billy spoke up. “So he doesn’t have his number or anything like that,” He casually stated. “Just saying, it might take a while for him to get in touch.” 

“I believe I recall his email,” Thaddeus informed. “Perhaps I could reach him that way.” 

Billy’s shoulders slumped.  _ Dang it. _ “Well it’s not like we have any computers here, so-” 

“I have a phone he can use.” Pedro offered, reaching for his pocket. 

“The cell service here sucks,” Billy blurted out perhaps a little too quickly, earning raised brows that caused him to add even quicker, “And you wouldn’t want to risk a fugitive’s emails getting tracked back to your phone for one reason or another.”

Pedro frowned, figuring that was a fair enough point as he slipped his phone back into his pocket. “How about the library? They have public computers there.” 

“It’s closed right now.” Billy replied, hoping they’d just leave it at that and- 

“Then you’ll go tomorrow,” Freddy firmly instructed without missing a beat, Billy’s expression falling and prompting Freddy to say, “Unless you’d rather us turn him in?” 

“No,” Billy objected. “If you turn him in the authorities will find out about me being here and call uncle Eb and-” 

“So we’ll go tomorrow.” Thaddeus confirmed, Billy frowning. 

Freddy eyed over both of them before acknowledging, “Okay— then I’ll come back tomorrow after school for an update.” 

Billy’s frown deepened as he said, “Well I have work tomorrow, so I don’t know if tomorrow will be the best-” 

“You can go before or after work, then.” Freddy unwaveringly insisted, Thaddeus eyeing over Billy as the boy chewed on his lower lip while averting his gaze. “Okay?” Freddy pointedly asked, Pedro staring at Billy in concern before inquisitively looking up at Thaddeus, eyes narrowing quizzically while he examined the older man that was observing Billy’s reactions. 

“Fine.” Billy reluctantly mumbled, Pedro catching the way Thaddeus frowned at how the boy averted his gaze towards the ground while shuffling around some gravel with one of his shoes. 

Seeming pleased enough with that answer, Freddy looked at Pedro. “You ready to go?” They needed to get back before Victor and Rosa began wondering why they weren’t home from school yet. 

Pedro tore his attention away from Thaddeus. “Sure.” 

Thaddeus straightened up. “No further concerns need to be addressed, then?” 

Freddy looked at Thaddeus, considering that inquiry for a moment. “Actually, yeah— there is one.” 

Thaddeus’s head tilted. “That being?” 

“What’s with the fedora?” Freddy asked, Billy not being able to help the way he let out a snort of laughter despite being rather sulky. “You wearing that literally makes me feel like you’re even worse than I assumed. 

“It’s a trilby.” Thaddeus corrected much less amusedly, wondering if he possibly should have just allowed Billy to be at odds with the insufferable boy he’d, unfortunately, prompted Billy to hear out. At least they’d gotten somewhere, though. 

Pedro shrugged. “Looks like a fedora.” 

For the love of- 

“Darla! Eugene!” Freddy called out, the pair that had been playing with Sunny turning their attention towards their older foster brothers that beckoned them over. “C’mon, we’re going home!” 

Darla gave Sunny a hug goodbye while Eugene gave him a wave before the two ran over, Darla stuffing the flowers the boy had given them in her pocket, the younger girl asking a bit too loudly, “What did you guys decide to do about Mr. Siv-” 

**“Jon.”** Billy corrected as Thaddeus visibly stiffened, the pair of children coming to a stop in front of them. “His name’s Jon here, okay?” 

“Like an undercover name?” Eugene asked, earning a nod of confirmation from Billy, Eugene considering that for a moment before shrugging and commenting, “Cool. Kinda’ lame name, though.” 

“Be nice.” Billy scolded as Thaddeus gave the youngest boy a look. 

“So what are you guys going to do about  _ Mr. Jon?” _ Darla asked with a wink that made Thaddeus nearly roll his eyes. 

“He’s going to try to find someone else to keep an eye on him,” Billy mumbled, rubbing the side of his neck. “But we have to keep that a secret since we haven’t found anyone yet, okay? We could both get into a lot of trouble if anyone else finds out about this.” 

“How much will you pay me to keep my mouth shut?” Eugene joked, adjusting his glasses. 

“Eugene!” Darla huffed, not wanting him to get Billy in trouble. 

“Very funny.” Billy scoffed. 

“We should really get going,” Pedro reluctantly spoke up, not wanting to leave yet since they’d barely gotten to spend any time with Billy lately and wanting to leave even less when earning a furrowed brow from Darla and a frown from Eugene. “Rosa and Victor will wonder where we were if we’re gone for too long.” He didn’t want to risk them being questioned and slipping up about something like this that wouldn’t exactly be easily explained. 

“Okay,” Darla sighed, shoulders slumping, even Thaddeus feeling like he’d just witnessed the reaction of a puppy being kicked as Darla’s entire demeanor shifted into one of what would best be best described as defeated. “It was good seeing you again,” She said while shuffling forward to hug Billy, seeming to essentially latch onto her older foster brother and not withdrawing until Freddy cleared his throat, reluctantly stepping away and softly mumbling, “Bye…” 

“I’ll see you around again sometime soon, yeah?” Billy reassuringly comforted, giving a squeeze to Darla’s shoulder before allowing his hands to fall back to their sides. 

“Okay,” Darla mumbled, stuffing her hands into her jacket’s front pocket, her gaze turning toward Thaddeus, the older man quirking a brow at how the girl paused and eyed him over for a moment. “Bye Mr. Siv- Jon. Mr. Jon. Bye, Mr.  _ Jon.” _ She eventually farewelled, awkwardly shifting around where she stood. 

Thaddeus gave a nod of acknowledgment, Billy’s foster siblings taking their leave at that, the older man noticing how Darla broodingly looked over her shoulder at him and Billy for a few seconds before chewing on her lower lip and turning her gaze forward. 

“Would you prefer to go to the library before or after your shift tomorrow?” Thaddeus spoke up, inquisitively eyeing Billy over. 

Billy’s expression faltered, pausing before hesitantly answering, “After, I guess…” A part of Billy couldn’t help but hope Thaddeus might not remember Jon’s email, or if he did then he hoped Jon didn’t use that particular email anymore. 

Then again, it was more than just a part of Billy that hoped that. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story was initially intended to be finished within 12 chapters at around 50,000 words. We’ve reached over a hundred-thousand words on this 14th chapter, lads. Any opinions so far? I really appreciate all the lovely feedback I’ve received so far!


	15. Cut from the Cloth of Vice

Billy had hoped Thaddeus would sleep in. Unfortunately, he was already up and more than ready for the day by the time the teenager groggily awoke to the sound of his alarm clock ringing. 

“Morning.” Thaddeus acknowledged, eyeing over the boy that let out a groan of exhaustion and hit the  _ snooze _ option on his phone. 

“Ten minutes,” Billy grumbled, burying his face against his arm while clarifying, “I’ll get up in ten minutes.” He’d barely gotten an ounce of sleep last night thanks to freaking out about the fact that today could go so many different ways. Most of the ways that had come to mind had been ones that potentially involved some sort of trouble. Almost all of the ways, in fact. Thaddeus wanting to reach out to someone that apparently had a record didn’t particularly make Billy feel at ease about their approach to this. Plus, Billy honestly just didn’t really want Thaddeus to leave right when it seemed like they were finally getting along some. 

By the time Billy’s alarm went off again, he’d effectively spent ten more minutes worrying enough to disturb any notion of much wanted rest. 

Billy wearily released a tired sigh of frustration, begrudgingly turning off his alarm and rubbing the sleep out of his droopy eyes that would much rather heavily fall shut, Thaddeus looking up from the newspaper he’d been reading and noting the boy seemed to be more than a little fatigued. 

“Are you all right?” Thaddeus inquired, setting down the newspaper. 

“Tired.” Billy yawned, begrudgingly sitting upright, having to blink a few times to bring his blurry vision into focus. 

“I could go get our rations if you’d like a moment longer to wake up.” Thaddeus offhandedly offered. 

Billy shook his head while giving a stretch. “I eat at the diner whenever I have a shift since my boss’ wife sneaks me meals for free.” The little things helped ensure the rations remained stocked for those that needed them. 

“Are you allowed to bring guests to the diner?” Thaddeus asked as Billy shimmied out of his sleeping bag. 

“Yeah, as long as they buy something,” Billy answered while he grabbed the tightly sealed garbage bag he kept his clothes in to ensure they didn’t get wet when it rained. “Why?” 

“I was wondering if you might want me to accompany you,” Thaddeus answered as Billy untied the plastic ribbons. “So we could go straight to the library afterward and you wouldn’t have to bother with coming back here first.” 

“I don’t mind coming back.” Billy shrugged off as he dug through his bag, not particularly wanting Thaddeus to possibly be gone even sooner than he’d initially anticipated. 

“And I don’t mind accompanying you,” Thaddeus replied just as easily. “For time efficiency.” 

“Well I can’t really buy anything for you since I’m low on money,” Billy reminded with a subtle stubbornness that might not actually be all that subtle, pulling out his clothes. “So you should probably just wait here until I get back.” 

“I wouldn’t mind waiting outside the diner.” Thaddeus continued nonetheless. 

“Is there a reason you’re suddenly so interested in coming with me to work?” Billy asked more haughtily than intended, unzipping his backpack a bit too harshly and shoving his attire into it. 

Thaddeus quirked a brow. “I was merely wanting to make this easier for you.” 

Billy personally felt like Thaddeus’s attempt to speed things up was making this whole shebang a lot more difficult to deal with than anything. “Since when do you care about making things easier for me?” He grumbled while zipping his backpack back up. 

Thaddeus’s head tilted. “You’re upset.” He observed aloud rather than taking the bait, not quite sure as to what was troubling the boy. 

Thaddeus was supposed to snap something back at Billy so it would be easier for the boy to be mad at him and not care that he was leaving, but for one reason or another, the older man wasn’t doing that. “I’m just tired.” Billy denied, grabbing his wallet and stuffing it into his pocket. 

“I see.” Thaddeus muttered, obviously not entirely convinced, broodingly eyeing over the boy avoiding his gaze. 

“I’m gonna’ go get ready for my shift.” Billy informed while standing. 

“If there’s a reason you’d rather I not come along then I suppose I could stay here.” Thaddeus acknowledged as Billy heaved his backpack over his shoulder. 

Billy hesitated, just staring at Thaddeus with a frown for a moment as he pondered on something before releasing a frustrated sigh and reluctantly permitting, “You can come if you wanna.” 

Unfortunately, Thaddeus promptly took that as his cue to stand and follow. “Lead the way.” 

Thaddeus noted their walk to the diner was surprisingly quiet, Billy barely offering a word at all until the pair finally arrived, the boy opening the door while informing, “I have enough to get you a coffee.”, so the older man wouldn’t have to wait outside for four hours. 

“I don’t particularly mind waiting outside.” Thaddeus stated, making no move to enter. 

“And I don’t mind paying.” Billy insisted, giving a nod toward the threshold. 

“You only have a dollar left.” Thaddeus knowingly pointed out, not wanting it to be wasted when he’d gotten more than accustomed to frequently being outside by now in any case. 

Billy released a short exhale. “Yeah, and I’d feel a lot better if you’d just come inside since it’s cold out here, so I might as well spend it on something useful, right?” He gestured toward the entrance again. “C’mon— before my boss snaps at me for keeping the door open and wasting electricity.” He beckoned while walking inside, Thaddeus deciding he might as well follow. 

“Hey there, sweet pea,” A plump older woman in a white waitress uniform greeted, adjusting her silver glasses. “Who’s your friend?” She asked with a warm smile as she put her poofy pepper-colored hair up in a scrunchy. 

“Jon,” Billy answered, leading Thaddeus over toward a seat in the back where he wouldn’t catch too much attention. “He’s from the underpass. Jon, this is Mrs. Hubbard.” 

_ “Sweet pea?” _ Thaddeus mockingly commented only loud enough for Billy to hear as he sat down, earning a look from the boy taking out his wallet, the older man sounding  **way** too amused about that nickname. 

“Nice to meet you, Jon.” Mrs. Hubbard kindly greeted, brushing her palms off on her frilly apron. “You joining Billy for breakfast?” 

“Oh, I uh, I don’t have enough for…” Billy cleared his throat. “I only got enough for a coffee— we can split a plate.” At least he got a free meal as an employee. 

“Nonsense,” The older lady waved off, walking behind the counter. “What’s your friend like to eat? It’s on the house.” 

Billy blinked, just standing there for a moment with a dollar in hand. “Are you sure that’s okay? We wouldn’t mind splitting a meal.” They usually ate less anyway nowadays and Billy didn’t really want to impose on a local restaurant that had its share of financial troubles. 

“I’m absolutely certain, sugar” Mrs. Hubbard assured, looking over at Billy and lightly scolding, “Now put that dollar away.” She turned her attention toward Thaddeus. “How do you like your eggs, Jon?” 

“I’d be fine with just a coffee.” Thaddeus dismissively answered, not particularly minding having to split another meal with Billy since he’d gotten used to that, too. 

Mrs. Hubbard placed her hands on her hips. “Now you’re gonna’ make me feel like you’re afraid of my cooking,” She huffed. “I don’t want you going and hurting my feelings like that,” She persisted with a slight smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. “So you tell me what you want or I’ll just give you what Billy likes to get.” 

“He likes his eggs over easy and toast,” Billy answered for Thaddeus, earning an arched brow from the older man. “And bacon, right?” Billy asked more quietly, earning a nod of confirmation before adding, “And bacon.” while walking over toward the kitchen. 

“Now you just sit right on down with your friend, young man,” Mrs. Hubbard instructed, shooing Billy away. “Your shift hasn’t even started yet— I can cook your breakfasts.” 

“Are you sure?” Billy asked, frowning slightly while rubbing the side of his neck. “I don’t mind helping.” 

“Pumpkin, you frankly look as though you’re just about ready to pass out,” Mrs. Hubbard said while gesturing towards the dark circles under Billy’s glazed over eyes that were drooping. “So how about you just go rest and sit down for a little until you’ve at least got some food in ya’ for energy, all right?” Billy chewed on the inside of his cheek, giving a sheepish nod of thanks. “You want the usual?” She asked as Billy began to walk over to sit with Thaddeus. 

“Yes, please,” Billy confirmed, sitting across from the older man. “Thank you.” 

“No problem, honey.” Mrs. Hubbard replied while grabbing the coffee maker. “How do you like your joe, Jon?” 

“With ten teaspoons of sugar and a cup of cream.” Billy joked with a smirk. 

“I’m sure that’s what you’d like.” Mrs. Hubbard amusedly scoffed as she poured a cup of coffee. 

“Black,” Thaddeus answered more seriously. “No cream or sugar.” Billy dramatically emitted a theatrical gag before letting out a snicker, Thaddeus dryly muttering, “Some of us prefer not having our food drenched in syrup.” 

“Technically coffee is, like, a beverage and not food,” Billy cheekily retorted. “And I’ve never heard of anyone putting syrup in it,” A pause. “But that actually sounds pretty good.” 

Thaddeus’s nose scrunched in distaste, the corners of Billy’s lips twitching upwards. 

“That sounds revolting.” Thaddeus commented unimpressed. 

“No, bitter coffee with literally nothing in it sounds revolting,” Billy said back without missing a beat. “But I mean, you’re honestly kind of bitter so I guess that makes sense.” 

Thaddeus raised a brow at the boy as Mrs. Hubbard set down their coffee and orange juice, the older man giving a grateful nod of acknowledgment while Billy mumbled a word of thanks, the older woman walking away as Thaddeus said, “You certainly seem to be feeling rather bold today.” 

“Too honest?” Billy chided before taking a sip of his orange juice, Thaddeus’s brow just raising higher, Billy swallowing before clearing his throat and setting the glass down, gaze averting. “Sorry— I’m being a little snarky, huh?” 

_ “A little?” _ Thaddeus pointedly commented. 

“Okay, yeah— a lot,” Billy knowingly acknowledged, not meeting Thaddeus’s stare. “Sorry.” 

Thaddeus’s head tilted. “I’m more or less used to you behaving rather brazenly by now.” 

Billy chewed on his lower lip. “Yeah, but there’s a difference between acting  _ brazen _ or whatever and just acting like a jerk.” 

Thaddeus didn’t quite know how to best respond to that. “I didn’t particularly feel as though you were behaving all that harshly.” 

Again, it would be a lot easier to not care about the fact that Thaddeus was very possibly leaving soon if the older man would just act like a jerk as he’d used to. He could still kind of be a jerk, but not to the extent he’d initially been. 

“It was kinda’ childish, though.” Billy admitted with a shrug, picking at a piece of worn leather on the faded red diner seat. 

Thaddeus looked the boy over, becoming increasingly aware something seemed to be troubling him. Then again, maybe he was just in a mood. That was a common enough notion for teenagers nowadays, wasn't it? 

“Is something wrong?” Thaddeus asked, studying Billy inquisitively. 

“No,” Billy answered a little too quickly, defensiveness seeping into his tone. “I’m just tired.” 

“You didn’t sleep well?” Thaddeus questioned, Billy shaking his head and causing the older man to continue, “Were you having nightmares about drowning again?” 

“I don’t really see how that’s any of your business.” Billy scoffed even though that hadn’t been it, not wanting to deny or confirm as much since he was pretty sure doing that would just make Thaddeus feel like he could pry further. 

For a moment, the sound of bacon sizzling and eggs being whisked was the only thing that could be heard in the restaurant. 

“I am aware that my presence has caused you some amount of discomfort given the nature of our roles as enemies,” Thaddeus eventually acknowledged. “Perhaps you could potentially find comfort in the fact that you may not have to keep an eye on me any longer if things with Jon go well enough.” 

“I won’t.” Billy denied and blurted out and confessed, because he wouldn’t— he wouldn’t find comfort in that… “I don’t-” He didn’t want Thaddeus to leave him, too. 

“Don’t?” Thaddeus patiently prompted when Billy failed to continue. 

“I don’t-” Billy frantically searched for something else to say. “I don’t really trust a guy with a record to keep you in check,” There— that was a good excuse, right? “And I wasn’t having nightmares about drowning or whatever last night,” He assured a bit more quietly. “I just had trouble going to sleep and stuff,” He doubted Thaddeus cared either way, but just in case he didn’t want to make the older man feel bad. “I had a Dr. Pepper before bed so the caffeine probably just kept me up or something.” 

“If I’m in Gotham then you won’t have to worry about me bringing any harm to Philadelphia.” Thaddeus offered, award Billy wouldn’t believe him if he merely assured the boy that Jon would ensure the Champion of Sins wouldn’t do anything questionable. 

“I don’t really want you bringing any harm anywhere,” Billy said back without missing a beat. “But Gotham has Batman and it seems like he’s done a pretty good job of looking out for his city, so I guess it’ll work out.” He’d been a vigilante a lot longer than Billy— Batman could probably handle Thaddeus a lot better than Billy could, honestly… The guy had a whole slew of villains he was able to keep in check but Billy had barely been able to take down just one. Sure, he’d stopped his share of criminals like basic robbers and stuff, but those were, like,  **a lot** different from actual villains. 

Thaddeus paused, eyeing over Billy before acknowledging with some amount of hesitance, “You’ve done a decent enough job of looking out for this city as well.” Unfortunately. 

Billy blinked, looking up at Thaddeus taken aback, not knowing what to make of the lack of sarcasm and the completely serious expression on Thaddeus’s face. “Thanks,” Billy softly replied after a moment, jokingly adding, “You’ve done a decent enough job of not trying to wreck it.” 

Thaddeus arched a brow, the right corner of his mouth subtly tugging upwards ever so slightly, Billy barely catching the vague smirk and the way Thad’s brief exhale resembled an actual chuckle. The older man cleared his throat and took a sip of his coffee, not wanting the boy to get too cheeky about being able to come across as mildly amusing to him. He lowered his coffee cup, noting Billy had visibly perked up some. 

“Have you ever been to Gotham?” Thaddeus asked as a means of making conversation, not particularly wanting peace and quiet oddly enough. Then again, this wasn’t exactly unpeaceful or loud— it was just… well,  _ conversation, _ and he didn’t particularly mind it considering he’d discovered Billy made for good enough conversation and- 

_ Enough.  _

Thaddeus’s hand flexed around the mug’s handle, the harsh motion causing the porcelain to splinter and snap, a few chunks shattering and piercing his calloused palm. The older man inhaled sharply and cursed under his breath as his fist sprung open, fingers twitching in pain while the white ceramic pieces dribbled with crimson clattered against the silver tabletop, the cup turning over. The throb spreading throughout his palm was overrun by a pulsing in his eye, his unharmed hand flying up to tentatively touch his scar that was burning more than usual, noting it didn’t feel any different to the touch and- 

_ Find us. _

“Thad?” Billy spoke up in concern, coffee dribbling over the table’s edge and puddling onto the white tile floor. 

**_Find us._ **

“Can you not allow me one moment of peace and quiet?” Thaddeus snapped through his clenched teeth, jaw gritting as he waited for the sting to subdue. 

_ Find us.  _

Billy’s expression fell, brow furrowing as he rubbed his upper arm, gaze averting. “Sorry…” 

Thaddeus blinked, wearily looking up at Billy. “Not you,” He said in a mutter. “I wasn’t speaking to-” Another jolt coiled in his eye and rippled throughout his scar, doing so strongly enough to make a sickly feeling root its way into his gut and overcome his senses, the diner interior seeming to spin while his wounded hand grasped at the table’s edge for balance. 

_ Find us.  _

“What?” Billy worriedly asked, looking Thaddeus over with a furrowed brow and asking, “Thad, are you good? You look like you need to lay down or something.” 

_ Find us.  _

“I’m fine,” Thaddeus dismissively denied, carefully standing up and wearily muttering, “Pardon me for a moment.”, and hastily walking off toward the restroom with measured composure, grateful they were the table nearest to the lavatory as he barely managed to make it inside before nearly stumbling up to the sink, hands clutching at its edges as his brow furrowed and his eyes momentarily slid shut. He took steady breaths through shaky inhales and exhales, trying to calm himself down and swallowing dryly, racing pulse gradually reducing to a normal pace as the thrumming in his chest did the same bit by bit. 

_ Find us…  _

Quieter. That one was quieter. More like a whisper than a rumbling roar reverberating in his ears. 

_ Find us. _

It was becoming nearly inaudible. Good. 

Thaddeus waited until the mantra of commands silenced completely to wearily open his eyes with some amount of hesitance. He’d barely managed to lift his eyelids before noticing a blurred looming shadow lurking within the mirror mere centimeters from his face. A crack abruptly punctured the center of the mirror with a sharp snap, the fracture spider-webbing across the reflective surface, rupturing crevices swiftly crawling towards the edges. Thaddeus jerked back, the sound of crunching glass stopping nearly as quickly as it had started, leaving a mirror riddled with jagged splits in its wake. 

Thaddeus blinked, just staring at the mirror for a moment, the silhouette nowhere to be seen as he only saw his own reflection distorted by cracks. 

Well that was certainly new. 

Thaddeus glanced downwards, noting the bloodied handprint he’d left on the sink, reckoning cleaning it up would be the least he could do considering he’d already broken a coffee cup and seemingly caused the mirror to break one way or another. 

He grabbed a handful of paper towels, turning on the sink and wetting them beneath the faucet as he refrained from looking in the mirror, hoping that would prevent a potential repeat of… whatever it was that had just happened. 

Thaddeus dabbed away the crimson stain before washing out the slash across his palm, relieved it was less than an inch deep and hoping whatever flowery scented foamy pink soap that the dispenser contained was antibacterial; the last thing he needed was an infection when he couldn’t very well go to a doctor’s office. 

Thaddeus considered stealing a glance at the mirror as he tossed the paper towel into the trash, although he ultimately decided against it as he approached the exit and- 

The door opened, Billy peeking inside and looking up at the older man that was less than a foot away from him. “Hey, you all right?” 

Thaddeus straightened up, blocking any visual of the cracked mirror that could- for all he knew- have another obscure entity just waiting to break the glass further or potentially do far worse. “I’m fine.” Thaddeus dismissively answered, maneuvering through the threshold and closing the door behind him, deciding he’d better not tell Billy about what he’d just seen considering that could very well cause the boy to immediately assume he was once again experimenting with forces that could very well be wicked and dangerous. To be fair, Thad wouldn’t really be able to blame Billy for assuming as much, although in Thaddeus’s defense he absolutely hadn’t intentionally prompted an interaction with whatever that thing had been. 

“I grabbed the first aid kit and cleaned up the spill,” Billy informed as they walked back over to their booth. “You want another coffee?” 

“Thank you,” Thaddeus acknowledged with a nod while sitting down, Billy opening the kit for him so he wouldn’t have to use his injured hand more than needed. “Another coffee would be appreciated.” 

“Okay, do you need help bandaging that or anything?” Billy offered, Thaddeus still not quite used to the prominent concern in the boy’s tone. 

Thaddeus shook his head while pulling out a gauze roll and a tube of expired Neosporin that he assumed was better than nothing. Billy walked off to grab him another cup of coffee, the older man bandaging up his hand as Mrs. Hubbard walked over with their breakfasts. 

“You alright there, Jon?” Mrs. Hubbard asked while setting down their plates. 

“I’m fine,” He dismissively answered. “The coffee cup-” 

“Oh I’ve been wanting to replace those old mugs for years,” Mrs. Hubbard dismissively brushed off, setting down their napkins and cutlery, Billy walking over and handing Thaddeus his new cup of coffee while sitting down. “You two need anything else?” 

“Jon needs a liter of syrup for his coffee.” Billy joked with a smirk, earning a look from the older man. “Kidding.” 

“I’ll be in the back if either you need anything, then,” Mrs. Hubbard said as Thaddeus brought the mug up towards his mouth. “Enjoy your meal, pumpkin.” She added while giving an affectionate pinch to Billy’s cheek, Thaddeus nearly choking on his coffee as she walked off, Billy embarrassedly rubbing the side of his face. 

“It’s seriously not that funny,” Billy defensively grumbled as Thaddeus managed to swallow down the coffee and clear his throat, suppressing a smirk that tugged at the corners of his lips in a way that was way too smug. “Oh, so you’ll act all stony whenever I crack a really good joke but as soon as something a little humiliating happens to me you just find that hilarious, huh?” Billy huffed, biting off a piece of fried bacon. 

“You’re awfully confident about the quality of your jokes.” Thaddeus commented, a hint of amusement in his tone as he salted his over-easy eggs. 

Well, at least Thaddeus was kind of bantering back with him— even if it was at his own expense… “You liked the ones about Venus and not wrecking this city.” Billy reminded while digging into his pancakes drenched in syrup and butter. 

Thaddeus raised a brow. “You’re keeping count?” 

Billy nodded while saying through a mouthful of food, “It’s not really that hard since you’ve barely found anything I’ve said funny so far.” 

Thaddeus paused, eyeing Billy over before dismissively informing, “I don’t always express my amusement.” 

“Oh, so you actually dig my jokes and want to hear them twenty-four-seven around the clock nonstop, huh?” Billy snickered without missing a beat, taking a sip of his orange juice. 

“That is absolutely not what I said.” Thaddeus immediately denied, not wanting Billy to make him regret bringing up what he just had. 

Billy let out a brief laugh, expression faltering as he glanced down at Thaddeus’s bandaged hand, setting down his orange juice. “Hey, you’re okay now or whatever, right?” 

“Yes.” Thaddeus muttered before taking a bite of his toast. 

Billy swallowed down his food. “Was your eye giving you problems again?” Thaddeus gave a nod of confirmation without elaborating further. “Maybe we should just go back to the underpass after my shift,” Billy offered, pushing around the cheesy scrambled eggs on his plate. “So you can rest and stuff.” 

“It’s subdued per usual,” Thaddeus brushed off, taking a bite of his baked bacon. “There’s no need to take a rain-check for the library.” 

Billy’s shoulders slumped as his entire demeanor shifted, no longer quite as perky. “Okay…” 

For once, Billy didn’t chatter away the whole meal, Thaddeus noticing the boy’s lack of attempts to converse yet not commenting on as much, assuming Billy just had to eat quicker than usual since he had work soon or was merely too tired to be overly cheeky. 

“What time is your shift over?” Thaddeus inquired as Billy got up. 

“Twelve,” Billy answered, picking up their plates. “I’m gonna’ put our leftovers in the fridge so we can pick them up on our way back from the library,” He began to walk over toward the kitchen. “I’ll get you a newspaper or something to read while you’re waiting.” 

For the most part, it sounded as though the next four hours would be uneventfully mediocre for Thaddeus. Unsurprisingly, the most exciting thing that happened the first hour was a trucker coming in with his orange cat in a carrier that the other customers kept stealing glances at, Thaddeus hearing him make a comment about not wanting to leave his cat in his vehicle unattended but not catching much else. In the second hour, Thaddeus noticed a man and woman in their early twenties recording themselves as they talked about the food they’d ordered and were about to eat, effectively managing to make their meal go cold as they spent at least ten minutes babbling before finally taking a bite, that being somewhat perplexing to Thaddeus but not particularly outstanding. During the third hour, a young boy managed to win a pink plushie from the restaurant's claw machine, the boy’s father making even more of a commotion than his son did as he congratulated the younger for winning, although Thaddeus personally just felt as though he was really just congratulating his child for succeeding at gambling, but they left fairly quickly so there wasn’t too much ruckus either way. 

During the beginning of the fourth hour, however, something particularly noticeable happened that caught and held Thaddeus’s attention much more than usual. 

Thaddeus hadn’t paid much mind to the sound of the door’s bell ringing as it opened per usual. He hadn’t quite paid attention to whatever the customer was arguing about with Mrs. Hubbard since the notion of unsatisfied clients was a normal enough problem for businesses. Hadn’t noticed who the one causing a fuss was since he hadn’t bothered glancing up from his newspaper considering very little had caused him to do as much that morning. 

Then, Thaddeus heard something that caught his attention more than usual. 

“William Batson better not be hiding out in here or so help me I’ll get this good for nothing establishment of yours shut down within a week, Jenny.” 

“You need to leave and come back when you're sober,” Mrs. Hubbard firmly instructed as Thaddeus turned his attention toward Billy’s impatient uncle Eb. “I can smell the alcohol on your breath and this is a family place. You’ve been-” 

“Oh don’t you nag me about alcohol you ol’ prune,” Eb scoffed as he leaned over the counter, Mrs. Hubbard straightening up and crossing her arms. “Your husband is as drunk as they come and you’re lucky he’s not-” 

“You’ve been causing more trouble for my business than I care for,” Mrs. Hubbard interjected. “You need to leave and not bother coming back until you’re ready to act nice and civil, Eb.” 

Thaddeus straightened up, eyeing over the bickering pair. 

“Well now, why don’t you just call the cops on me?” Eb mocked, some customers glancing over at the older man while others exchanged uncertain looks with one another. “You can’t risk going and doing a little ol’ thing like that though, can ya?” He smugly challenged. “You know just as well as I do that if they come here they’ll have to check around to make sure I’m not right about you harboring a minor you very well  **know** is a runaway,” He smirked, placing his hands on the counter. “And you could get into an awful lot of trouble for hiding him away from his designated guardian, now couldn’t you, Jen?” Eb stared down Mrs. Hubbard. “I’m more than willing to bet that husband of yours wouldn’t be very pleased if you put his quaint business here in jeopardy by catching the law’s attention.” 

Thaddeus’s eyes narrowed at that. 

“You need to leave,” Mrs. Hubbard sternly spoke up. “Now, Eb.” She briefly glanced at the observing Thaddeus before returning her gaze toward the older man that didn’t seem to notice. 

“I’ll gladly do so as soon as you let me give this place a look around to make sure William’s not hiding away anywhere.” Eb unrelentingly persisted, Thaddeus lowering his newspaper. 

“You’re not staff and you don’t have a warrant,” Mrs. Hubbard pointed out. “You’re not stepping a foot in my kitchen and you know just as well as I do that a man like you wouldn’t want the police getting involved in a thing like this,” She gestured toward the exit with her spatula. “So how about you get going before I make you go?” 

Thaddeus glanced towards the kitchen’s side exit upon noticing Billy swiftly but carefully making his way out into the dining area, trying to not draw attention to himself as he glanced at Thaddeus and- 

“Planning on running me off with that spatula of yours?” Eb said unimpressed, dismissively storming toward the corner of the counter as Billy began to maneuver over to the diner’s back door as quietly yet quickly as he could. 

“Eb!” Mrs. Hubbard objected as Billy opened the door. “Don’t you-” 

“I didn’t come all the way down here just to be told I can’t take a look around for what’s mine, Jen,” Eb snapped, hastily approaching the corner he was less than a foot away from as Billy managed to slip out the door. “I’ll leave as soon as I’ve checked every nook and cranny in here.” 

Thaddeus picked up his coffee cup as Eb rounded the corner, allowing the steaming hot brew that Billy had adequately kept fresh to  _ slip _ from his hand and splash right down the older man’s pant leg. The cup shattered against the tile floor and ceramic chunks punctured the bottom of Eb’s shoe that stumbled at the unexpected  _ mishap, _ resulting in sharp jagged pieces burrowing their way deep enough to reach the skin beneath the sole of the leather. The older man lost his footing and nearly collapsed as he barely managed to keep himself up by grappling at Thaddeus’s table, clinging to the edge of the surface while his legs scrambled. 

Needless to say, Eb didn’t notice the door closing behind Billy, Thaddeus glancing up and briefly catching Billy’s stare right as the door shut. 

Eb wearily managed to straighten up without putting too much weight on his injured foot while hissing, “You nearly made me-” 

“My apologies,” Thaddeus dryly interjected without an ounce of sincerity. “I wasn’t expecting you to rush by like that,” He dismissively stated with a careless shrug that he didn’t even bother trying to put much effort into. “I suppose you startled me.” Eb’s lips pursed and his jaw visibly clenched at the monotone lie. “I believe the kitchen is right in there if you want to check around for that poor boy of yours.” Thaddeus calmly added, casually gesturing towards the kitchen’s side entrance. 

Eb’s eyes narrowed quizzically, the lanky older man eyeing Thaddeus over for a moment before turning away with a scoff and a grumbled comment Thaddeus didn’t quite catch, the drunken man further grumbling to himself as he limped into the kitchen as Mrs. Hubbard made her way around the counter. Thaddeus briefly waited until Eb disappeared through the threshold to stand, Mrs. Hubbard rushing up to Thaddeus while pulling an envelope out of her apron. 

“Here’s Billy’s pay for the last two weeks.” Mrs. Hubbard said in a quiet tone, trying to be at least somewhat discreet as she stuffed it into Thaddeus’s hand, not pausing as she followed Eb into the kitchen. “You need to get out of here right this instant!” She scolded, storming in after Eb, Thaddeus assuming the uncle wasn’t the only one she was talking to. 

Thaddeus slipped the paycheck into his coat pocket while swiftly exiting the restaurant through the backdoor Billy had used, pausing once getting outside upon not catching any sight of the boy, wondering if he might have gone on ahead while scanning his surroundings and- 

Oh. There he was. 

Thaddeus beckoned over the boy tentatively hiding behind the diner’s dumpster, letting him know it was safe enough to come out yet also feeling as though it would be best for them to quickly make their leave just in case his uncle decided to check out back as well. 

“Are you all right?” Thaddeus inquired as Billy walked over to him with some amount of hesitance, the boy immediately following the older man that began to walk away from the restaurant, matching Thaddeus’s brisk pace. 

“I guess?” Billy mumbled with a shrug. “I didn’t grab my backpack since I kinda’ panicked or whatever, though.” 

“We could pick it up on the way back,” Thaddeus suggested, pulling out the envelope Mrs. Hubbard has given him. “Here.” 

Billy blinked, taking the unexpected payment. “Thanks,” He said, sounding more than a little relieved about the fact that they weren’t going to have to just make do with a dollar and a few cents anymore. “For, uh, you know… grabbing this for me or whatever,” He said while slipping the envelope into his jacket, pausing before hesitantly adding, “And for, um-” He rubbed the side of his neck, awkwardly averting his gaze while chewing on the inside of his cheek. “For helping me out with avoiding uncle Eb back there and stuff.” 

“A word of thanks really isn’t necessary,” Thaddeus dismissively replied. “I still don’t exactly know my way around these parts; I needed to ensure you’d remain available to show me to the library,” That was all. “You don’t need to thank me for as much.” That was the only reason he’d intervened. 

“Still,” Billy mumbled, giving a shrug. “It would have…  **really** sucked if he found me,” Billy played with a string on his glove, softly murmuring, “So thanks for helping me out a little,” His brow furrowed while his arms crossed, quietly adding, “Regardless of why you decided to do it.” 

Thaddeus frowned, eyeing the boy over. “You’re welcome,” He acknowledged with some amount of hesitance after a moment, a beat going by, the older man pausing before offhandedly commenting, “I don’t particularly have any desire to see you get caught in any case.” Why did he feel the need to clarify that? It wasn’t as though he was obligated to discuss this any further— they really could have just left it at that. Perhaps he shouldn’t have bothered saying as much considering he really hadn’t needed to. 

Billy came to an abrupt halt, Thaddeus raising a brow and following suit, eyeing over the boy as he wondered if Billy’s injured ankle might be acting up again, the older man tilting his head inquisitively. 

“Sorry, I’m just- I’m still kinda’ freaking out,” Billy embarrassedly admitted, avoiding Thaddeus’s stare. “Is it okay if we stop just for a sec?” He nearly pleaded more than requested in an exceedingly antsy tone. “It’s, uh… it’s honestly sort of hard for me to move around or walk or whatever when I’m-” Billy swallowed dryly, giving a shrug. “Anxious and stuff, I guess? If that makes sense?” Billy was rambling again and he knew it but the words just kept pouring out of his mouth without much pause. “Like I’m kind of freezing up here so it’s hard to focus on walking like a normal person when I’m tense like this,” He tried to joke with a forced laugh that didn’t sound much like a laugh at all with how it wavered, throat clearing. “I know you don’t like waiting for me so if you wanna’ go ahead then that’s fine but I really need to-” 

“I don’t mind waiting,” Thaddeus spoke up, Billy finally falling silent at that, the boy shakily playing with a string on his glove. “There’s a lot of traffic on this sidewalk,” Thaddeus commented as crowds of people weaved around them, the pair earning a few glances here and there. “Would you like to go somewhere else to take a bit of a breather or stay here?” 

Billy scanned their surroundings for a less populated area to no avail, barely able to focus on anything other than the dread pulsing in the pit of his gut that was trying to claw its way out. “Somewhere else,” He mumbled, chewing on the inside of his cheek hard enough to leave indents. “Can we, um… can we go somewhere else?” He felt silly and humiliated and embarrassed and stuck and uncertain and weary and sick to his stomach and- 

“Yes,” Thaddeus acknowledged, catching the way Billy seemed to be having trouble with figuring out just where exactly he wanted to go. “There’s an alley a few blocks away,” He observed aloud. “Can you make it that far?” Billy just nodded without making a comment, the boy not trusting his voice to not give out, because he was anxious and- “All right,” Thaddeus said surprisingly patiently, placing a hand on Billy’s shoulder. “This way.” 

And Billy relaxed just a little bit, but it was enough to get him walking again, the boy managing to make it to the alleyway before hurriedly breaking away from Thaddeus’s grasp and rushing toward a concrete step in front of a locked backdoor, more or less dropping down into a sitting position on it. Billy released a shaky exhale, continuing to avoid Thaddeus’s gaze as he propped his elbows atop his knees, resting his forehead against his palms and swallowing thickly. Billy chewed on his lower lip as he steadied his breathing and focused on following a crack in the pavement with his eyes, silently counting how much time was ticking by to try and get a grasp on reality and not feel as though everything was whirling by him at once. 

“Sorry.” Billy eventually spoke up ever so softly feeling bad for wasting Thaddeus’s time like this when he knew the older man just wanted to get to the library ASAP and silly for not being able to silently handle this himself and embarrassed about needing Thaddeus to help him get out of a crowd that a high schooler should have been able to handle just fine and- 

“An apology really isn’t necessary,” Thaddeus replied a bit more quietly than usual, not sounding irked or condescending or even dismissive— he just sounded… patient. “Are you all right?” Billy hesitated to answer, because he didn’t know whether or not he should lie and shrug it off or tell the truth and risk being a little too vulnerable with someone that wasn’t supposed to care about him or- “Billy?” 

“I don’t know.” Billy blurted out, because he didn’t know how to answer that and he didn’t know why the guy that was supposed to be his arch-nemesis would care anyway. 

Thaddeus frowned, not quite knowing how to best react to that given how he wasn’t particularly familiar with these situations. “You don’t know?” He inquisitively prompted, not entirely sure as to whether he should continue to ask questions as a means of offering a chance to discuss this or if he should just leave the boy be. 

“What do you care?” Billy scoffed and blurted and  **asked** . 

Billy didn’t know why he asked— he knew Thaddeus didn’t care. That much was obvious. He didn’t want his number one enemy seeing him weak and vulnerable like this… he didn’t want to risk this somehow being used against him in the future; he didn’t want Thaddeus knowing what got to him when he was pretty much almost certain that the older man would rather use that to his advantage rather than express any amount of care whatsoever. 

Thaddeus’s father had never been a particular source of comfort. He’d never bothered modeling how one was supposed to handle an adolescent in distress. If Thaddeus went with what he’d learned as a child, then he’d just have to tell Billy to straighten himself out and stop acting like an overdramatic embarrassment since the world wasn’t going to stop for his irksome moping. Thaddeus presumed that likely wouldn’t be the right approach to this, though. Call it a hunch, but the older man didn’t personally feel as though belittlement would do much good for teenagers that seemed to already be internally belittling themselves. 

“It’s not as though I enjoy seeing you upset,” Thaddeus commented, not about to admit that he cared or-  **act** . He wasn’t about to  _ act _ as though he cared. “I’d say it’s really quite the opposite, in fact.” He could admit that, though. 

Billy’s hands lowered in favor of wrapping his arms around his legs, pulling his knees up to his chest as he quizzically eyed Thaddeus over. “So you do kind of care if I’m okay or not?” 

Well Thaddeus had frankly walked right into that one despite his best efforts. “I don’t have a desire to see you in any manner of distress.” 

“Because you care about me being happy,” Billy said back without missing a beat, earning a look from the older man that opened his mouth to deliver a retort, although his lips fell shut when Billy released a brief laugh that was shaky yet genuine. “Joking,” Billy said, smile faltering some as he cleared his throat, swallowing thickly and averting his gaze again. “Sorry,” He rested his chin atop one of his knees. “I know you don’t really like me joking around about that— I’ll stop.” 

Thaddeus’s hard gaze became somewhat less sharp despite his deepening frown, the older man eyeing over the boy who was once again avoiding his stare akin to the way Thaddeus had once avoided his father’s stare to ensure he didn’t give the old man a wrong look that would set the geezer off worse than usual. “I would rather you be well off than not.” He acknowledged after a moment. 

Billy blinked at the unexpected confession that wasn’t outright admitting to Thaddeus actually caring, although the sentiment was close enough that it caught Billy off guard, the boy just staring at Thaddeus for a moment as though waiting for him to reveal he was just being a sarcastic jerk. 

When Thaddeus didn’t do that, Billy just said, “Oh,”, because he wasn’t really sure what to do here considering he’d assumed they’d never actually get this far. “Okay,” He awkwardly rubbed at the burn on his arm, not quite knowing what to do with himself when they seemed to be at a standstill of sorts, neither quite knowing where to go with this. “Thanks.” He personally found it kind of perplexing that Thaddeus was seemingly trying to offer some amount of comfort here when the older man would surely deny as much— maybe he was just wanting Billy to hurry up and feel well enough to take him the rest of the way to the library. “I’m, uh,” Billy cleared his throat, taking a deep inhale as he stood. “I’m ready to go now,” He hoped Thaddeus didn’t notice how glazed over his eyes were, because he hadn’t been crying but his eyes were definitely a little glossy since something had totally gotten in them and made him blink more than usual. “Sorry for making you, ya’ know… wait and stuff or whatever.” 

“I really don’t mind,” Thaddeus dismissively replied. “Are you sure you don’t need a bit longer to compose yourself?” 

Billy almost mistook that as an insult before realizing it was an actual question, the boy shaking his head and saying, “No, I’m good,” A pause, Billy chewing on the inside of his cheek and unsurely pushing his luck even further than he already had by hesitantly asking, “Is it okay if we stop by the thrift store before we go to the library?” Thaddeus quirked a brow. “It’s on the way,” Billy quickly assured before adding in a mumble, “Kind of…” 

“Shouldn’t you be saving your money for a new phone?” Thaddeus reminded while quizzically eyeing over the boy. 

“I will,” Billy dismissively shrugged off. “But I need to get something since I finally got my pay.” 

“That  _ something _ being?” Thaddeus inquired, not quite sure as to why it seemed as though Billy was going out of his way to do anything but go to the library. 

“Neosporin.” Billy blurted out as casually as he could manage— which wasn’t very. 

“I doubt a secondhand store carries medicine.” Thaddeus skeptically replied, although he wasn’t familiar with shopping at them so he could be wrong. 

Dang it. “Well I need a, uh- a um- Oh you know… the thing that- the things that protect your feet. Socks. I need socks. The ones I’m wearing are kind of worn down and I don’t wanna’ risk getting another blister since the underpass is a few blocks away. Unless you wanna, like, have to carry me back or something and-” 

“All right,” Thaddeus wearily exhaled through an exasperated sigh. “We can go to the thrift shop first.” It shouldn’t take long for the boy to find a mere pair of socks. 

It took Billy over fifteen minutes to browse the socks section by the time they got there. Some were too thick, some were too scratchy, and some were too worn down. Some were too slippery while others weren’t slippery enough, some were too big or too small, some were too low and others were too high. Some had designs Billy didn’t like but others had designs that were too plain, and some were either too tight or too loose or too something. 

“Red or white?” Billy asked, holding out the two pairs of socks he was trying to decide on. 

“Black.” Thaddeus dryly replied. 

Billy considered that for a moment. “You know what? You’re right— I’ll find some black ones instead; you can’t see dirt and stuff on them as easily.” 

Oh for the love of- 

Thaddeus refrained from rolling his eyes as Billy put the two pairs of socks back and began carefully examining the black socks instead. 

Thaddeus waited approximately five minutes before finally asking, “Are you done?” 

“Almost,” Billy evasively answered, going through the same pile he’d already gone through a number of times in mock consideration. “Why? Do you want something?” 

“I’d frankly like to get to the library before it closes.” Thaddeus replied, arms closing. 

“Oh, it doesn’t close for, like, at least another two or three hours.” Billy nonchalantly assured, Thaddeus having little to no clue as to just what the boy was seemingly examining on the socks he kept picking up and putting down. 

“Is that intended to imply you plan on being here for at least another hour?” Thaddeus exhaled in exasperation. 

Billy shrugged. “There’s a lot to browse. Gotta’ make sure I get something comfortable, ya’ know?” 

Thaddeus massaged the bridge of his nose, eyes momentarily falling shut as he attempted to maintain composure. “Are you doing this on purpose?” 

“Doing what?” Billy oh so innocently asked. 

“Wasting time.” Thaddeus bluntly answered, annoyance seeping through his time. 

“Why would I wanna’ waste our time?” Billy defensively retorted. 

“I wouldn’t be surprised if you wanted to waste mine considering you seem to have a habit of doing as much.” Thaddeus said back without missing a beat, hand lowering as he opened his eyes to give Billy a look. 

Billy practically bristled, the miffed boy shoving the socks back into their pile. “Fine,” Billy didn’t see why he should want a jerk to stick around, Thaddeus’s tendency to act like a prick honestly just making this much easier to not care about. “Let’s go.” He scoffed while marching right toward the exit, definitely not about to miss  **that** about Thaddeus— or anything else… he wasn’t going to miss Thaddeus.  **He wasn’t.** He didn’t care that this douchebag was leaving. In fact, Billy could really care less! 

For a moment, Thaddeus just stood there perplexed, not quite knowing what had just happened considering Billy generally tended to bicker back with him some before storming away, but he’d skipped straight to the storming this time. After a brief pause, Thaddeus followed, more than aware something had been bothering Billy since this morning and not quite aware as to whether or not it potentially had to do with him. Not that he cared— Billy’s problems were his own… Thaddeus wasn’t obligated to get involved. 

Despite that, for one reason or another Thaddeus involved himself by asking in a somewhat irked tone, “You’re not purchasing the socks we came all the way here for?” 

“I wouldn’t want to make you wait for the cashier to ring it up.” Billy sarcastically grumbled, speeding out the exit. 

“Is there a reason as to why you apparently feel the compulsion to behave so ridiculously dramatic right now?” Thaddeus questioned as he followed Billy through the threshold. 

Billy didn’t want Thaddeus to leave like he was used to people doing and he felt silly for wanting a jerk-face like this to stick around since he should be relieved he wouldn’t have to keep up with the sarcastic prick anymore. “Is there a reason you’re acting as though you’d care about something like that?” Billy retorted while making his way down the concrete pathway, doubting this absolute douchebag cared in the least. 

Thaddeus genuinely didn’t know why he bothered trying to converse with this insufferably stubborn boy in any manner whatsoever. “Is there a reason you’re behaving like a brat more than usual?” Perhaps that wasn’t the best way to attempt conversing, though. “Well?” He prompted when not earning a reply, the silently fuming Billy nearing the main sidewalk, Thaddeus reaching out to grab his arm while frustratedly saying, “I didn’t come all the way out here to-” 

The instant Thaddeus’s fingers wrapped around Billy’s upper arm the boy swerved around to face him, seeming caught between freezing and yanking away, his free hand instinctively jerking upwards only to hang midair as though he was debating on whether he should punch Thaddeus with his fist or shield himself with his arm, the jumpy boy uneasily eyeing him over with a stare that was unsure and upset and cautious and something akin to very nearly  **afraid** . 

“Watch it.” Billy warned, although it sounded like less of a threat and more of a distressed request, his body locked up with stiff muscles that barely allowed him to budge an inch. 

Thaddeus released Billy’s arm nearly as quickly as he’d gotten ahold of it, hand lowering as Billy hesitantly relaxed ever so slightly— that clearly hadn’t been the best approach to handling this… particularly when Billy was more vulnerable as just himself rather than a Champion. 

Particularly when Thaddeus couldn’t help but assume that from the looks of it the boy was seemingly used to unpleasant things following a grabbed arm. In all frankness, Thaddeus probably should have known better considering he’d been a bit too familiar with that notion of unpleasantries back when he was Billy’s age. 

Billy relaxed ever so slightly, although the wariness remained considering he assumed the only reason his arch-enemy bothered listening was because he didn’t want to risk Billy saying the Wizard’s name and retaliating. 

“Did that cause some manner of pain?” Thaddeus asked after a lengthy pause of uncomfortable silence, because he’d been maintaining a measured calmness and had been sure to not grab hard enough to bruise or anything of the sort, but perhaps he’d miscalculated his grip. 

“No,” Billy mumbled, rubbing his upper arm and averting his gaze. “But I  **really** don’t like it when people grab me like that because-” A pause. “Because it’s just a super douchebag move.” He settled on saying with a shrug. 

“It was uncalled for,” Thaddeus acknowledged, aware Billy was already upset enough with whatever had been bothering him since this morning and his uncle’s unexpected appearance; Thaddeus didn’t precisely want to add more onto the boy’s plate when Billy frankly seemed to be on the verge of becoming more than a little overwhelmed, the older man not exactly wanting to play a role in Billy potentially having a breakdown— regardless of how it wasn’t as though Thaddeus would actually care even if he did have one, of course… “Are you all right?” Billy was beginning to look the way he’d looked back at the alleyway near the diner his uncle had shown up at, the younger visibly antsy. 

Billy’s brow furrowed, unsurely glancing at Thaddeus before turning his gaze downwards while anxiously clenching his upper arm. “I’m fine.” 

Thaddeus couldn’t help but doubt that, although if he said as much then he assumed Billy would retort by goading him about caring— which he didn’t… Thaddeus  **didn’t** care about any of this whatsoever. 

Yet he cared enough to say, “Do you want to browse further?” 

Billy blinked, giving Thaddeus a quizzical look. “What?” 

“I suppose I wouldn't particularly mind waiting a bit longer if you’d like to browse further,” Thaddeus elaborated, reckoning there was no harm in doing as much. “At least in that case this trip wouldn’t be for nothing.” If Billy wanted socks then he should get socks so they wouldn’t have to deal with the boy getting another blister and taking his sweet time limping back to the underpass. At this rate, they’d frankly be lucky if they got back by dusk. 

“No,” Billy mumbled nonetheless, Thaddeus raising a brow at how the boy looked off to the side and awkwardly rubbed his neck. “It’s fine… we can go ahead to the library.” He didn’t actually need socks anyway— he’s just been stalling. “I’ve already wasted enough time.” He honestly felt kind of bad for making Thaddeus wait around for no good reason other than the fact that Billy wanted him to stay. 

Billy felt  **greedy.**

Thaddeus frowned upon realizing whatever was going on with Billy seemed to be more serious than he’d initially assumed, taking a step towards the boy that was behaving much more antsy than usual. “Billy-” 

A sharp  _ crunch _ pierced the air, the pair’s attention darting toward the shop’s glass display that abruptly erupted with a series of brisk cracks, the breakage stopping nearly as quickly as it had started and leaving behind widespread jagged cracks in the window panel. 

“What was that?” Billy warily asked, looking as though he didn’t know whether to race inside or sprint away. 

Oh thank goodness— so Billy could see that as well, then. “Not sure.” Thaddeus admitted, trying to tell whether or not there was an obscure figure once again present within the distorted glass. 

“I’m gonna’ go check inside real quick and make sure everything’s all right.” Billy decided aloud, Thaddeus staring at the boy that didn’t move from where he stood for about five seconds. “You wanna’ come with me?” He requested more than asked. 

“All right.” Thaddeus said even though he really didn’t, frankly feeling as though they should just walk away and not make whatever this was their problem. However, he still did not quite know where the library was, so he would have to stick with Billy for a while longer. 

“Okay,” Billy said with a nod of relief, pausing before asking, “You wanna’ go first?” That earned a look. “You know what? I’m the superhero— I should probably go first since you’re kind of defenseless without the Eye thingy, huh?” He corrected, hesitating a few more seconds before letting out a shaky exhale and reluctantly making his way towards the door, pausing in front of the vending machine near the exit. “I’m gonna’ get a Dr. Pepper real quick before we go inside, you want anything?” 

“How exceedingly heroic of you,” Thaddeus commented with dry sarcasm as Billy pulled out a dollar that had previously been their last dollar for quite some time. “The Wizard truly chose a most noble successor.” 

“I don’t hear anyone screaming,” Billy said with an eye roll, inserting the dollar. “So it’s probably fine,” He pressed a button. “It’s not like I’m ignoring pleas for help or whatever.” 

“And if it’s a hostage situation in which they’re being told to be quiet?” Thaddeus inquired as the machine dispensed a can of soda, arms crossing. 

“Okay okay, I’m going,” Billy huffed, grabbing the beverage. “C’mon.” He reluctantly beckoned, Thaddeus following him inside. “Should I switch to my Shaz form?” Billy mumbled, noting there wasn’t really anyone in the thrift store at this time of day. “You know, just in case?” Billy anxiously looked around as he approached the register that was in front of the broken window. “Obviously not, like, in here or whatever of course,” He rang the counter bell. “Since that would leave a hole in the roof and stuff,” Billy popped open his soda, Thaddeus remaining alert and paying less attention to the boy than their surroundings. “But if I just ran outside real quick I could be a lot less, I dunno’...  **vulnerable** in thirty seconds tops.” He took a sip of Dr. Pepper as the cashier walked out from the storeroom and- 

“Billy?” The girl with poofy blonde hair and bright blue eyes said taken aback, Billy’s chest more or less constricting at the sight of her as a surprised noise pushed through his throat right as he swallowed. Thaddeus blinked at the way Billy audibly choked on his beverage and made a less than appealing gurgling sound, the older man looking the boy over as Billy tried to breathe and cough at the same time. Thaddeus quirked a brow, Billy’s attempt to casually clear his throat turning into a genuine cough, the boy’s eyes watering some. 

“Cissie!” Billy managed to greet through a few more coughs, nearly spilling the soda he lowered a little too quickly. “What- uh- what-” Another cough. “What are you doing here?” 

“I work here,” Cissie answered with a smile, averting her gaze downwards as Thaddeus quizzically eyed her over and Billy finally managed to look at her without hacking out a cough. “Pete helped me get a job,” She explained, playing with a frilly white bow around her floral blue and white button-up dress’s waist. “What are you doing here?” 

“You’re friends with Pete?” Billy asked, Thaddeus noting the self-conscious tone. 

Cissie nodded before shyly repeating, “What are you doing here?” 

“Oh, right. Uh, just browsing. So Pete’s-” 

“My brother.” Cissie knowingly answered, keeping her gaze on her white shoes with matching white bows, an identical bow clipped through her left bangs. 

“Oh!” Billy said, visually and audibly relieved. “Pete’s your brother then, huh? That’s cool.” 

Cissie just nodded, her stare remaining directed downwards rather than lifting up to meet either of their stares as she asked, “Who’s your friend?” 

“Who? Oh! You mean Jon,” Billy said considerably more flustered than Thaddeus had ever seen him. “This is Jon,” A beat. “But I kinda’ just said that, huh?” Billy said with an awkward laugh that was almost uncomfortable enough to give Thaddeus secondhand embarrassment. “Anyway,” Billy’s throat cleated. “Jon’s my, uh-” 

“Cousin.” Thaddeus finally answered for the frazzled boy that was clearly having trouble composing himself. 

Cissie finally looked up at Thad to give a small wave, gaze raising to settle on his hat as she pointed towards her hair and said, “Hi Jon. I like your trilby.” 

Oh now  **this** one seemed tolerable. “Thank you.” Thaddeus acknowledged. 

Billy realized she was referring to his hat. “You like fedoras?” 

Cissie looked at Billy, winding her dress’s ribbon around her finger a bit more anxiously, her head tilting. “Fedoras are neat, too,” She said with a shrug. “I just like fashion from the Victorian era to the late 1980s,” Cissie’s eyes trailed to their empty hands, glancing back and forth between the pair. “Do you have anything you want to purchase?” 

“What?” Billy asked, blinking as Thaddeus came to the conclusion that Billy was almost as bad as Freddy was when it came to suspicious behavior bordering on comical. “Oh. No. I mean, I was gonna’ get some socks or whatever, but I don’t actually need any,” Billy blurted out, immediately realizing what he’d just said upon earning a pair of quizzically narrowed eyes from Thaddeus. “I mean I don’t actually need any right now since it can, like, wait,” Billy quickly corrected, not wanting Thaddeus to realize he was procrastinating going to the library on purpose by trying to stall the older man. “So we were just window browsing and-” 

“We noticed the display window broke,” Thaddeus spoke up, Cissie’s expression falling as her gaze averted downwards again, not meeting either of their stares. “Any idea on what might have caused that?” Maybe she’d accidentally broken it. The diner incident could just be a coincidence. 

Cissie’s head shook as she toyed with her ribbon with finicky fingers. “It just broke while I was at the register. I was calling my boss from the back room when you guys came in; he said someone might have been messing around and thrown a rock at it or something. He’s going to show me how to check the security footage when he gets here later. You guys didn’t see anyone near the window when it cracked, did you?” 

Maybe not a coincidence, then. “No.” Thaddeus answered, although he hadn’t seen that odd figure lurking in the window this time, so perhaps it had merely been no more than a freak accident that could surely be explained one way or another. Maybe. Hopefully. 

“Do you have any coworkers here with you right now?” Billy worriedly asked. “We could stick around until your boss gets back if you want.”

Thaddeus gave Billy a look. “We could?” 

“It’s fine,” Cissie spoke up before Billy could retort. “Pete should be here in a few minutes for his shift. Thanks, though,” She tore her gaze away from the floor, looking up towards Thaddeus. “It was nice meeting you, Jon,” She looked at Billy, offering a small smile. “Nice seeing you, too, Billy. You should come by more often,” Her gaze averted downwards again as she smoothed out the bow she’d ruffled up. “We’re usually not that busy around this time of day.” 

“I should?” Billy cleared his throat, rubbing the side of his neck while awkwardly laughing off, “I mean, yeah,” He returned the smile, visibly anxious. “I’ll totally, uh, do that,” Thaddeus rolled his eyes, pointedly nudging Billy with his elbow and impatiently gesturing toward the exit, pursing his lips at how Billy’s elbow jabbed him back. “Maybe we could hang out and stuff outside of here sometime, too. You know, if you wanna’ do that,” Thaddeus quietly released an exasperated exhale, moving to walk around Billy as Cissie cracked a smile. “Right— we should probably get going now,” Billy resisted the urge to face-palm himself, pretty sure he’d been less than adequate in doing anything but making a fool of himself throughout the duration of this conversation. “Have a good one.” He said while giving a wave as he followed Thaddeus out the door, Cissie letting go of her ribbon to return the wave. 

Thaddeus glanced at Billy as they walked down the sidewalk, the defensive boy immediately saying, “Don’t.” 

Thaddeus’s gaze returned forward, nonchalantly stating, “I didn’t say anything.” 

Billy looked at Thaddeus, a vague smirk tugging at the corner of the older man’s mouth ever so slightly, causing Billy to huff, “Okay, you know what-” 

“What?” Thaddeus replied, hints of amusement residing in his tone. 

“You don’t have to make a big deal about a little small talk,” Billy haughtily said. “We were just-” 

_ “I’m _ the one making a big deal out of this?” Thaddeus mused, Billy crossing his arms ever so miffed. “Are you ready to go to the library now?” He offered, resisting the opportunity to comment on Billy’s embarrassing ordeal in favor of taking the chance to finally reach the location Thaddeus had been trying to arrive at for nearly the entire day now. 

Billy’s expression fell, brow furrowing as he reluctantly mumbled, “Sure.” 

Billy had run out of excuses and had no options for stalling left over. 

The walk to the library was notably silent for the most part, Thaddeus assuming Billy was just trying to compose himself after getting so flustered over a less than ideal conversation with that classmate of his. In reality, however, Billy was just trying to come up with something that might buy him a little more time before he’d have to let some rando take over for him and keep an eye on Thaddeus. Some rando that apparently had a record, at that. Some rando that could very well just chuck out all the progress that had gone into proving Thaddeus could be a decent enough human being instead of an awful person. 

Billy considered  _ accidentally _ getting lost on their way to the library and going in the completely opposite direction. Maybe they’d be too far away to get there before it closed by the time Thaddeus would notice something was off. Billy decided against that, though, since he felt like that might be a little too suspicious for the already impatient Thaddeus. Pulling the last straw and being interrogated about why he was procrastinating probably wouldn’t be a very good idea; Billy personally didn’t know how he’d even start to go about admitting that he’d possibly gotten a little more attached than he should have considering they were supposed to be sworn enemies and all. Plus, Billy just wasn’t all that good with expressing crap like that since he wasn’t exactly known for being sentimental to most people. He just wasn’t good at expressing himself or whatever without getting defensive. That was normal for a teenager, right? It was okay for a fifteen-year-old boy to be a little repressed and stuff when it came to emotions. Okay, maybe it was more than a little— maybe it was a lot… but- 

Oh. The library was in visual range. Great. A part of Billy hoped Thaddeus didn’t notice. 

Thaddeus straightened up, his pace becoming just a bit quicker as he kept his sights on the building just ahead of them. 

Yeah, all right, fine— Thaddeus had definitely noticed. 

“There’s a great coffee shop down this way,” Billy spoke up. “If you wanna’ go there before we hit the library.” Maybe the line would be long. Maybe all of the machines but one would be down. Maybe there would only be one barista. Maybe Billy could take his time drinking a hot chocolate so the library would be closed by the time he was done. Maybe- 

“Is there a reason you seem to be wanting to go anywhere but the library?” Thaddeus quizzically inquired, having no interest in going to a coffee shop when he’d had more than enough cups of joe at the diner. 

“Maybe I don’t want you to go,” Billy blurted out as he came to a halt just outside the library, Thaddeus pausing. “Okay?” His entire body seemed to lock up as though there was a force field a few yards from the entranceway that was preventing him from going any farther, because he didn’t want to go any farther. “Maybe I just don’t want you to go,” Billy admitted a bit more self-consciously as he crossed his arms, gaze averting as Thaddeus raised a questioning brow at him. “I just- I feel like we’re finally beginning to get along some and now you’re going right when we’re starting to not hate each other or whatever,” Billy rubbed his upper arm. “Not that I hated you before, I was just, ya’ know… kinda’ cautious about you and stuff,” A beat. “Not that you’re not still pretty intimidating, because you definitely are, but I’m less, uh, freaked out, I guess? Like, you’re honestly not as bad as I assumed you were, and that’s becoming more than a little obvious,” Billy swallowed thickly, hesitantly adding, “I’m just-” He wearily released a frustrated exhale. “I’m used to people leaving but it still sucks, and I know we’re supposed to be arch enemies but I really don’t want you to leave because you’ve looked out for me some… and I honestly don’t have a lot of people that I can be around right now that have done that,” Billy’s shoulders slumped. “And I know that probably sounds pretty silly since-” 

“It doesn’t,” Thaddeus quietly spoke up, Billy blinking and looking up at the older man eyeing the boy over with a frown that was less of a scowl and more of something else entirely that lacked any notion of annoyance. “It doesn’t sound silly.” Thaddeus patiently clarified, broodingly studying Billy with an expression that the younger couldn’t quite place. 

Billy visibly relaxed a little bit at that, but he was clearly still upset as he added, “It doesn’t really help that the guy I’d be handing you off to apparently has a record. I mean, I don’t really want to risk him pulling you into something that I might feel like I have to get involved in since I’m responsible for making the call to not turn you in. I just- I don’t really feel like going from finally getting along to being at each other’s throats again,” Billy chewed on the inside of his cheek. “But I don’t want you feeling like you’re, I dunno’... obligated to stick around or whatever, I guess? Because you’re not. Like, you’re really not. I honestly don’t even know if that would be the best idea or even a good idea since-” A pause, Billy hesitating before confessing, “Since I honestly just don’t want you to leave so I don’t know if that’s hindering my judgment or something,” Billy’s gaze averted again. “So it’s your call, okay? It’s your call because I don’t know how to make a decision on something like this and even if I did it could definitely be biased,” Billy rubbed the side of his neck. “Not to mention Freddy’s sort of already made the call with threatening to turn you in if you don’t do this and all. I’m pretty sure I could find a way around that, though, but-” Billy bit his lower lip, playing with a string on his glove. “But I get if you wanna’ contact Jon either way— that would be fine.” He assured despite feeling less than fine. 

Thaddeus was perplexed by this, to say the least. The notion of Billy being upset by him potentially leaving was not one Thaddeus had prepared for whatsoever. The boy had apparently gotten attached to some extent and this was… new, to say the least, to someone like Thaddeus who was not familiar with looking out for anyone outside of himself— much less rambunctious children that had a tendency to be exasperatingly cheeky. This was undoubtedly unexplored territory. 

“I would like to attempt contacting Jon,” Thaddeus eventually stated, Billy’s brow furrowing as he felt a sickly feeling drop around his core, unfurling in his gut and tangling its way into his very being. “Because I do believe he could offer some manner of assistance, and a relatively significant one at that,” Thaddeus added, dread coiling around Billy to burrow in deep and spread through a wave of apprehension that seemed to engulf him down to the bone and tighten with each constriction of the chest that beat with a pulsing sense of unease. “Although I’d assume the nature of that assistance could vary and allow some manner of flexibility,” Thaddeus said a bit more hesitantly, Billy blinking and looking up at him. “So I would not be opposed to discussing how you would prefer to go about approaching this after I reach out to him,” Thaddeus’s head tilted. “Assuming that’s something you’d be interested in?” 

Despite being perplexed by Billy’s reaction and not quite knowing how to best react in return, Thaddeus didn’t particularly want to be indifferent about this… for one reason or another— not that he cared, of course. Regardless, he reckoned it would be best to ensure Billy’s explanation wasn’t met with dismissiveness. The boy was evidently having a rather overwhelming day and Thaddeus didn’t feel any urge to worsen that. Maybe Thaddeus should want to considering this was his sworn enemy, but he didn’t. The impulse to make the Wizard’s Champion’s life as difficult as possible had diminished considerably and Thaddeus had become more than aware of that. He wasn’t quite sure as to how best to address it, but he was certainly aware of it in any case. At least Thaddeus was getting better at handling this as far as he could tell. Presumably. Potentially. 

“Okay,” Billy spoke up. “Okay, yeah— that would work,” He said with a nod as he visibly relaxed, relieved by the fact Thaddeus was actually being receptive to this and honestly kind of surprised by the fact that the older man wasn’t just shrugging him off or retorting with sarcasm. “Thanks, Thad.” He mumbled, anxiously rubbing at the faded burn mark beneath his sleeve, the older man noting that seemed to be a habit of the boy’s now. 

Thaddeus gave a nod of acknowledgment, gesturing Billy forward, the boy following him into the library. 

“Do you know how to use the computer?” Billy quietly asked, pulling a chair up to the desk Thaddeus sat at. 

Thaddeus gave Billy a look. “Yes, I know how to use a computer.” He dryly stated in a low voice while turning it on, the login screen popping up 

“Just making sure you’ve used one since, like, internet explorer and floppy disks were invented.” Billy mumbled, sliding Thaddeus his login card. 

“Very funny.” Thaddeus muttered unamused, inputting the card’s information. 

“The computers automatically log you out after an hour.” Billy informed in a whisper, sticking his library card back into his wallet. 

“I doubt it’ll take me an hour to write an email.” Thaddeus scoffed under his breath, starting up the web browser. 

“I’m just letting you know as, like, a courtesy or whatever,” Billy huffed, Thaddeus rolling his eyes while typing  _ Gmail _ into the search bar. “Sorry for trying to be helpful.” 

“As much as I appreciate the  _ help,” _ Thaddeus began with sarcasm rising in his tone less than subtly, a measured calmness keeping his voice low. “I don’t particularly need assistance with this.” He clicked on the option for creating a new account, refraining from adding a comment about how Billy was frankly distracting him more than anything. 

“Why are you making a new account?” Billy murmured. 

“Because I’m assuming my accounts for anything and everything is being monitored,” Thaddeus muttered as he typed in the information, feeling as though that really should be obvious. “And any activity would likely notify authorities of my location.” 

Billy examined what Thaddeus had typed in. “Jon Hart? Is his last name Hart?” 

“No,” Thaddeus muttered, inputting the rest of the information. “Like John Doe, but less conspicuous.” He didn’t want to very well use his real name in case that could get tracked, too. 

Billy just stared at the screen for a moment as Thaddeus continued typing. “I don’t get it.” Thaddeus released a quiet exhale, parting his lips to explain but being interrupted by the boy saying, “Wait, why  _ eight-magic-eight-ball-eight?” _

“It refers to a Christmas gift he got me when we were younger,” Thaddeus muttered, deciding to go with  _ 8magiceightball8@gmail.com _ as he moved on to typing in a password. “I need something to catch his attention so it doesn’t get brushed off as spam.” 

“Shouldn’t you have a more specific alias, too?” Billy mumbled. “Ya’ know, as another backup for catching his attention just in case he doesn’t notice the whole magic-8-ball thing.” 

Thaddeus paused— Billy had a point… how surprising. “All right.” He quietly acknowledged, typing in his name as  _ TBS OneNineSevenFour _ . 

“Turner-Broadcasting-System One-Nine Seven-Four?” Billy questioned in a whisper. 

“Thaddeus Bodog Sivana Nineteen-seventy-four,” Thaddeus corrected, maintaining a quiet voice while explaining, “My initials and the year we-” 

“Your middle name’s  _ Bodog?” _ Billy snorted, having to cover his mouth with his hand as the librarian sent a warning glance their way, muffling a snicker as Thaddeus gave him an irked look. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Billy whispered, trying to hold in his stifled laugh as he failed to thin out his grin for more than a couple of seconds. “I just- I wasn’t expecting- I mean, I guess I’d be a bad guy too if my parents named me-” 

“How about you go browse the books while I finish this up?” Thaddeus stiffly suggested, Billy evidently finding this much too amusing, Thaddeus mocking, “I’m sure they have picture books somewhere.” 

“Oh very funny,” Billy scoffed under his breath with an eye-roll, nonetheless standing up and allowing Thaddeus some time to himself. “I’ll be over in the communications section.” 

It didn’t take Thaddeus long to finish emailing Jon, deciding to send him a brief message alluding to who he was and inquiring as to whether Jon even used the email Thaddeus was contacting anymore. It had been decades since they’d last spoken and Thaddeus frankly wouldn’t be surprised if Jon didn’t use such an old email anymore. He reckoned he’d just have to check tomorrow for an update. If there wasn’t anything, perhaps he’d come back during the weekend to check in one more time. At least I’m that case, Thaddeus could say he’d made an attempt. There wasn’t exactly much else he could do without drawing attention to himself. 

Thaddeus made his way over the communications section after logging out, finding Billy reading a text about radios, the boy glancing up from the book and slipping it back onto the shelf while saying, “We can hang around for a while if you wanna’ see if Jon sends anything back. The library doesn’t close for another couple of hours.” 

Thaddeus considered that— briefly. “If he does send something back then I would assume it could wait for tomorrow.” It wasn’t as though Thaddeus had to dedicate all of his time to this one aspiration. He didn’t mind waiting for a mere day to check back in. 

Billy visibly perked up at that, Thaddeus gesturing him forward with a nod towards the library’s exit. “Okay, cool,” He followed Thaddeus out. “Ya’ know Freddy’s probably going to be at the underpass though, right? He’ll want us to fill him in.” 

Thaddeus grimaced. “Will the fact that I sent an email be satisfactory enough for him?” 

“I dunno’,” Billy admitted with a shrug. “Probably? I mean, I’m pretty sure he’ll just criticize whatever you do, but it should be fine as long as he knows you’re not just shrugging off everything he says,” Billy rubbed the side of his neck. “I know he seems kinda’ bossy, but he’s just stressed out since he doesn’t really get that you’re honestly not that bad and all. I can’t really blame him for wanting to be cautious even though I personally know I’m fine or whatever around you. I actually feel like you guys would kinda’ even get along if you would just hang out or something. You know, like we’ve hung out and stuff.” 

Thaddeus scoffed. “I frankly find that doubtful. You’re much more tolerable than that bratty-” Thaddeus blinked, realizing what he’d just started to say and practically already said, aware of the way that had caused Billy to look up at him taken aback yet refusing to meet the boy’s stare. “ **Somewhat** more tolerable. You’re  _ somewhat _ more tolerable than that brat.” Thaddeus stiffly corrected. 

Billy felt a smirk tug at his lips, the corners of his lips twitching upwards as he said, “Well which is it?  _ Much more _ or  _ somewhat more-” _

“Barely.” Thaddeus answered, Billy letting out a snicker. The older man side-eyed the amused boy, although he didn’t snap out an irked comment, frankly not feeling the need to do as much considering he wasn’t actually annoyed at Billy despite the younger’s cheekiness. In fact, Thaddeus couldn’t help but feel as though the trivial error he’d made could admittedly be seen as somewhat amusing. Not to mention it hadn’t quite been a lie. Compared to Freddy, Billy’s company was preferable since he at least refrained from threatening to lock Thaddeus back up as seriously as Freddy did. Although that wasn’t to suggest Thaddeus actually enjoyed Billy’s company, of course— he just… preferred it. That was all. It certainly wasn’t as though Thaddeus had become the least bit fond of Billy’s pestering, he’d merely gotten used to it. 

“You’re good if we stop by the diner so I can grab my backpack, right?” Billu spoke up. 

Thaddeus gave a nod of confirmation. “I could retrieve it for you,” He dismissively offered. “In case your uncle stuck around or called in an officer to be on the lookout for you there.” Not that Thaddeus would care even if that was the case, of course. 

Billy raised a brow taken aback by that. “Seriously?” Thaddeus nodded without comment ever so nonchalantly. “That would be great,” Billy agreed in relief, visibly relaxing. “Thanks, Thad.” 

Thaddeus gave a nod of acknowledgment. Regardless of whether or not he cared about Billy- which he didn’t- he didn’t particularly want the boy to get reeled into whatever mess his uncle was stirring up when Eb frankly seemed like a less than adequate guardian… 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s almost been a year since this fic was posted and it’s finally getting some bonding development between Billy and Thaddeus— and of course some cryptic elements with outer forces... 
> 
> How do you guys feel about the direction this is taking? ;) 
> 
> If you want to see some fun and fantastic artwork of Thaddeus and Billy you can find it and the link to the artist’s About Page below! Hayden’s a spectacular artist and a wonderful friend so I’d really recommend giving his amazing blog a look. 
> 
> Art- https://rulerofpurple.tumblr.com/post/634810962824790016/dont-talk-to-me-or-my-son-ever-again-33-ko-fi 
> 
> About- https://rulerofpurple.tumblr.com/post/630190377244246017/commission-page-updated-aboutdni-page


End file.
